A Clever Seduction
by ChrissyKat
Summary: Dormé&Anakin,both were trained to protect innocent lives.Taught to avoid emotional attachments.What will happen when the rules are broken.How far will they go to hold onto each other.What will they do when they discover the dark truths that surround them?
1. Prologue

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Prologue  
Rating: M Contains content suitable for mature teens and older or Rated R /br  
Authors Note: The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and Padmé Amidala do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to Cariel and Jody. I thank them both for allowing me to use their concept. This prologue takes place sometime between the end of TPM and the start of AOTC, around 27BBY. For Age Chart just email me.

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After 'winning' the position of chancellor, Palpatine had found it easier than ever to manipulate a great many things in his favor. A lover of games of strategy, he likened these manipulations to one of those games. Arrange the pieces on the board, each where they believe they should be. When they are in place, spring the proper traps to achieve absolute victory. Before long, he would have each player right where he wanted them. Most of the Senators had already folded easily to his whims and even the naive Queen Amidala was falling right into place.

Palpatine had kept a close eye on her and as he had promised the young Anakin Skywalker with a special interest. The boy held impressive powers, far outshining those of any other Jedi. Skywalker was now a full-fledged padawan to Jedi Obi-wan Kenobi. The Jedi were wasting that boy's talents, but no matter, when all things came to conclusion Skywalker would see the faults of the Jedi clearly. Their 'Chosen One' would turn from them and assume a far greater position of power.

Taking a sip of tea, Palpatine returned to his current task. Recently he had come to learn that Queen Amidala had begun training a new group of handmaidens.

Under his breath Palpatine growled, "Those blasted handmaidens and decoys of Amidalas' have caused me enough grief in the past". This time he planned to use one of them to his advantage. Perusing the applications, he was intent on finding out which of the new 'recruits' he would be able to exploit for what he had in mind. So far, none of the girls seemed suitable for the task he would need them to perform. Infuriated at the constant failure he deleted yet another candidates' file from the computer.

Frustrated, Palpatine was ready to formulate a new plan when something in one of the girl's applications piqued his interest. "Dormé Jaffa….Jaffa" he spoke her last name out loud. Something about her last name was strangely familiar to him. There was a Jaffa in the town of Uriash wasn't there? A very prominent fellow if he recalled. Intrigued by this promising find he continued looking over the rest of the girls information. What he found as he gleaned more and more background information from this Dormés' file increased the dark smirk that appeared on his wrinkled face.

Scouring her file, he found the accompanying holo image. One glance at Dormé Jaffa sealed the deal. She would fit perfectly into his plans for Skywalker and Amidala.

"Yes…I think this girl will suit my needs…quite well." Palpatine cackled taking another sip of tea. "Soon, we shall meet…Dormé Jaffa." His dark laughter echoed off the walls of his office.

Switching off his computer, he rose from his seat and moved to the massive windows.

Far too late, the fools in the senate and the rest of the universe would realize that it was Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor, who was pulling all the strings.

Tbc

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Like it, hate it, want me to delete it and never write anything else? Interested and intrigued? Let me know. 


	2. The Prelude

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: The Prelude  
Rating: M Contains content suitable for mature teens and older or Rated R  
Authors Note: The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and Padmé Amidala do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to lj user"cariel" I thank her for allowing me to use her concept, for inspiring me to start this fanfiction, and for making such an awesome looking story banner. I also blame her for my new obsess…new loyalty to this fandom.  This chapter starts at the beginning of AOTC. The flashback scene takes place roughly in 27BBY shortly before the events in the Prologue.

Since her induction as a full-fledged handmaiden, Dormé Jaffa had sat through numerous Senate meetings at the side of her mistress, Senator Padmé Amidala. Today; however, had been her first mission as decoy. When she had first learned about the deaths of both Versé and Cordé, Dormé went through a series of different emotions. Though she had never been close to either girl, the death of any handmaiden, as with any person, was a somber affair. With duties to perform, Dormé was soon brushing aside any morose feelings, quickly delving into complete panic at the realization that she was next in line to be the Senators decoy; a dangerous but important assignment. Needless to say, Dormé was shaken and unusually reserved.

Her instructions came directly from Padmé and she studiously memorized the speeches and arguments necessary to act out the part of the senator. Padmé offered her an encouraging smile before Dormé, now in dressed as the senator, left for the senate building with Saché and Captain Typho in tow.

Leaving the senate building only a few hours later, Dormé now fully understood Padmés' frustration. As the leader of the opposition against the building of an army for the republic, Senator Amidala had made enemies. The pleas that Dormé now made in Padmés' place fell upon many sets of deaf ears. Before Dormé could continue with her prepared address, Chancellor Palpatine had saw fit to adjourn the senate. He looked upon her in such a way as he spoke that Dormé almost believed that he could tell she was not the Senator at all. She quickly dismissed this idea as nonsense.

Now, on top of all that, Dormé had to sit through yet another meeting in the chancellors' office, still dressed as the senator. The gown she was wearing weighed so much. Dormé could barely sit down much less breath due to the restraining corset she had to wear. Still, each facet from her makeup to what she wore was part of being decoy and truly, Dormé knew things could be much worse.

As she, Saché, and Typho stepped onto the turbo lift that would shuttle them up to the senators' suite, Dormé thought back to how she had come into Padmés' service.

FLASHBACK

Theed, capital city of Naboo was finally in sight. Oh thank the gods, Dormé thought. She had been walking for nearly a month from her hometown of Uriash. What little food she was able to take with her had run out days ago and her legs felt unbearably heavy. When she started this journey from Uriash to Theed, Dormé had been confident she would be able to make her case to the Queen. Now, Dormé wasn't sure if the illegal child labour problem in her hometown would ever be solved.

Brushing the sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm, Dormé pushed onward. The tan skirt she wore, trailed along the ground, ripping and becoming dirty. She tried to pull the sleeves of her shirt up but the loose fabric kept clinging to her sweat soaked skin. Uncomfortable as she felt on the outside, her grumbling stomach made it known, that her insides felt just as neglected. Dormé hoped that she could find some food and soon. br

Theed was an enormous city and people bustled past by her in a blur. There were numerous merchant stalls spread out all over. Dormé was drawn in by the delightful smell of fresh breads being prepared. She stumbled over to the stall, eyes wide, hoping that perhaps one merchant would have some sympathy.

She found that notion swiftly crushed as the merchant shooed her away saying he did not want such a filthy looking child near his merchandise. Running was not an option to her as she was already utterly exhausted, so she stumbled away nearly falling down onto the hard ground in the process.

On the verge of weary tears, Dormé collapsed against the wall of a nearby building. She closed her eyes. Why did I ever think I could do this? she thought before again wiping her face.

Loud shouting broke her out of her thoughts. Dormé lifted her gaze just as an older boy ran past her. He was carrying a large loaf of bread under his arm and a big smile on his face. The merchant who had shooed her away was in pursuit but soon gave up simply calling out curses before going back to his store.

Picking herself up off the ground, Dormé decided to follow the boy. She crept through the alley the older boy had raced down carefully. The alley was dark and Dormé felt safe only because of the small knife she had tucked away. She reached the end of the alley and saw the older boy lying on the ground, back against a wall, snacking on the bread, and sipping from a bottle. He already looked drunk so she approached him with caution.

The boy looked up at her with glazed green eyes. "What are you looking at?" he snarled.

Dormé looked at the bread in his hands than looked back at the boys face. When he saw where her attention had been he tried to stand on his feet but stumbled backwards, hitting his head on the wall. "Go and get your own you whelp". His speech was slurred and Dormé could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Please…may I just have a small piece? I have been walking for months and…and I am so hungry. I could trade you something for it?" Dormé asked.

Looking her over, the boy took another gulp from the bottle in his hand before wiping his mouth. "Eh, really…hmm…and what do you have to offer?" He hiccupped, stood up, than tossed the empty bottle aside.

She had little of worth to offer and except for the knife; the only other object that might get her some food was the necklace she wore. As she reached for the clasp, the boy grabbed her arms pulling her close to him. He smelled horrible and Dormé had to force herself not to be sick all over him.

"Take more than some bauble to get this bread little girl." His fingers started pulling at her top.

Dormé squirmed against him trying to get away. "Let me go…your hurting me." Her cries went unheard as the boy laughed, his hands going to the ties on her top.

His smile faded when she began kicking him. "Little brat…stop squirming and this will be over quickly." Just as he was about to rip her top open he felt something sharp slide into his stomach. Looking down he saw a small blade protruding out from his now bloody shirt. He stumbled backwards in shock and fell to his knees before pulling the blade out. With one final look at Dormé, he toppled forward, face first into the ground.

Dormé backed away, falling down onto her backside as she watched him die. The blood began to pool around the body and for a moment, what she had just done shocked her. She had killed someone. All she had wanted was some bread. The bread lay where the dead boy had set it down. Hunger outweighing anything else, Dormé hurried over, grabbed what was left of the loaf, and rushed as fast as she could back out of the alley, nibbling on the bread as she went.

By the time Dormé had finished the small amount of bread, she was at the palace. Dormé was starting to feel the effects from the day's events and her vision kept blurring in and out of focus. She trudged forward tiredly and began climbing the stairs to reach the palace entryway.

Her vision blurred once again, as she got closer to the doors of the palace. A guard was coming towards her, saying something, but she could not hear what he was trying to tell her. Everything was starting to spin around her and as she took one more step, her foot slipped. The world went dark as her body crumpled down on the stairs.

END FLASHBACK

Saché tapping on her shoulder startled Dormé back to the present. The elder handmaiden looked at her with concern, "Are you alright? You looked like you were miles away?"

Dormé shook her head. "Yes…yes I'm alright. I guess…I guess I am just a bit tired. Today has been rather exciting and not in the most pleasant of ways."

Saché nodded her head. "Cordé and Verse's deaths have affected us all milady but they did their duty, a duty all of us have pledged our lives to." She glanced over at Captain Typho who remained silent at Saché's words. He to had been deeply affected at the loss of the handmaidens.

There was little that Dormé could offer in reply. She had willingly given her life over in service to Padmé Amidala years ago. Typho, the guard who had been trying to speak to her, had carried Dormé inside when she collapsed on the steps of the palace. Hours later, she came to in a warm, soft, and clean bed. The first face she had seen was that of Saché. The older handmaiden told her that she had been fading in and out of consciousness for two days.

After resting for a few more days and answering endless amounts of questions from Saché and Captain Typho, they brought Dormé before Queen Amidala. After speaking with the Queen about the terrible child labour permitted in her hometown and after receiving the Queens assurances that something would be done to end such a travesty, Dormé was prepared to leave but Amidala had other plans for thirteen year old Dormé.

The offer to become a handmaiden was unexpected. For most of her childhood, Dormé had worked in the textile factories in Uriash. The choice between returning to that hard life, or taking the opportunity to better herself, was irresistible and so Dormé Jaffa began her training as a handmaiden to Queen Amidala of Naboo.

Years later, here she was acting as decoy to the former Queen turned Senator.

The turbo lift came to a stop. When the doors opened, Typho and Saché stepped out into the Senators suite. They looked around to make sure there were no intruders. Convinced that the suite was secured, Saché motioned for Dormé to come inside.

Dormé stepped inside grateful that her duties were almost over for the day. As she was making her way into the sitting area, Padmé came out from the senators' bedroom flanked by Sabé and Rabé.

"Milady, I trust all went well with at the senate meeting and the meeting with Chancellor Palpatine?" Padmé addressed her as both she and Dormé sat down on one of the couches.

Keeping up pretenses Dormé did not hesitate to answer. "As well as any senate meeting goes. The Chancellor adjourned things before any real progress was made and for _my_ safety he has assigned more security."

Dormé immediately witnessed frustration pass across the senator's face but Padmé tapped it down just as quickly. "Is that really necessary milady? Who is better to protect you than Captain Typho and your handmaidens?"

"Chancellor Palpatine has asked that two Jedi be assigned to protect me. I believe he was concerned that my speech to the senate today would provoke yet another attack on my life." Dormé stated. Truthfully, she had no idea why the Chancellor felt the need to bring in these Jedi. How could they protect the senator any more than the Captain or her handmaidens?

"Jedi…? Which Jedi did he suggest for this task?" Padmé questioned her expression one Dormé could not decipher.

"I believe he spoke of a Master Kenobi. There were several other Jedi present at the meeting and they assured him that this Master Kenobi would be sent here as soon as possible". Dormé answered, recalling the name Palpatine had suggested.

Once more Padmé reverted to the role of handmaiden. "The chancellor has given us little choice but to accept this. The Jedi are worthy protectors' milady. Now, perhaps you would like to freshen up before they arrive?"

Sabé flashed Dormé a pleased grin. Decoy to Padmé when she was Queen, Sabé had trained both Cordé and Dormé to take on the same role. With Cordé's death, the job passed to Dormé and Sabé was impressed by what she saw.

As Dormé and Padmé rose from the couch to proceed to the dressing room there was a chime at the door. Both women froze mid-step. Dormé looked at Padmé, her eyes asking the question of what they should do. No doubt, the Jedi had just arrived so there was no time for Dormé to switch places with Padmé.

Padmé came closer to Dormé. "It seems there is no time milady." She leaned forward to whisper in Dormé's ear. "You must play my part for a bit longer. I will retire to my bed chambers but Sabé will remain behind to keep up appearances." That said she nodded her head, motioned for Sabé to remain behind, before heading back to her bedroom with Rabé.

Dormé sighed under her breath. She had to have the worst luck. All she wanted to do was to relax, have a glass of aspinthos, and put her feet up for the night. Now, she had to meet with Master Kenobi and whoever the other Jedi was who would be accompanying him. Oh well, She thought I suppose it will have to wait. Doing a quick check to make sure she looked presentable; Dormé motioned for the captain to answer the door.

The captain greeted the two Jedi before ushering them into the sitting area. "Senator…may I present to you Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker."

Jedi Kenobi bowed addressing her as he did so, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Milady"

Ever able to adapt to the situation, Dormé gave the man a friendly smile before speaking. "It has been far too long Master Kenobi." She glanced over at the other Jedi standing next to Master Kenobi.

"You of course remember my padawan Anakin Skywalker, senator." He motioned to Anakin who stepped forward bowing his head. The young Jedi's eyes had locked onto her as soon as he had entered and even when he bowed, they did not waver.

Dormé had to admit he was rather handsome more so than Master Kenobi was, but now was not the time to let her mind wander to such things. "Yes, of course." She addressed Anakin now, "I…I did not recognize you. You've…grown."

Unfazed by her momentary inability to recognize him right away, Anakin smiled as he replied. "So have you…grown more beautiful…for a senator…I mean." He stumbled over his wording.

Dormé smiled at this fumble while Obi-wan looked disapprovingly at his padawan. She motioned for them all to sit before taking a seat on one of the couches. "Please."

Sabé sat down next to her while Typho remained standing, taking his place to the right of Dormé. Obi-wan and Anakin sat down on the other couch opposite of the Dormé. "Our presence here will be invisible milady, I assure you." Obi-wan said as he made himself comfortable.

Dormé nodded her eyes flickering from the master Jedi over to his Padawan who at that very moment was staring intently at her.

"I'm very grateful for your presence here Master Kenobi. Queen Jamilla has informed me of your assignment. The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit." Typho glanced first at the Jedi than down at Dormé.

It was difficult to keep her mind focused but Dormé knew she must play the part of Padmé without a single flaw. "I don't need more security, I need answers. I want to know whose trying to kill me." Dormé, like any of the Padmés handmaidens cared about the senators' safety.

Obi-wan frowned and leaned forward slightly. "We're here to protect you Senator, not to start an investigation."

However, his padawan seemed to have other ideas. Anakin kept his gaze locked with Dormés as he spoke. "We will find out whose trying to kill you Padmé, I promise you."

Though Dormé was thrown by his informal use of the senators' first name, she was more interested in what occurred next.

"We will not exceed our mandate, my young padawan learner." Obi-wan scolded Anakin.

"I meant in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course." Anakin tried to explain but Obi-wan once more began to scold him as if he were a small child. Dormé could not help but recall how many times Saché, her mentor, had done the same to her early in her training. It was always in front of the other handmaidens and always embarrassing.

"We will not go through this exercise again Anakin, and you will pay attention to my lead." That said Master Kenobi turned his away from his padawan."

Dormé, Sabé, and Typho remained silent as they watched the interplay between the two men. Anakin disagreed and began to argue his point of view gaining more and more confidence as he went. Master Kenobi rebuked him once more and Anakin finally acquiesced, looking rather downtrodden.

Feeling sympathetic to how Anakin was probably feeling at being publicly humiliated, Dormé tried to soften the mood. "Perhaps with merely your presence, the mysteries surrounding this threat will be revealed. Now, if you will excuse me, I will retire." She gave Anakin a comforting smile before rising from the couch. Sabé quickly followed.

Both Obi-wan and Anakin stood up and bowed to the senator. Typho gave a nod of his head to both Jedi, saying that he felt much better knowing there were Jedi here to protect the senator before departing for the control center downstairs.

Anakin kept looking back to the doorway in which Dormé and Sabé passed through, his expression sullen. As Obi-wan approached him, he shifted his gaze to the Jedi Master. "She didn't even recognize me."

"You're focusing on negative thoughts again Anakin. She was pleased to see us. Now, come, let's check the security." With that said, Obi-wan walked away from him.

With one final glance to the doorway, Anakin went to help Obi-wan with the security check. Master Kenobi was right; though Padmé had not instantly recognized him, it had been several years since they had seen each other. The smile she gave him before leaving gave him even more assurance that she was pleased that he was here.

Tbc

This ones a little bit canon, a little bit AU so I do hope you enjoyed it. I know it's a bit slow so far but things will get rolling soon. Please leave a little review; they help me keep the inspiration going.


	3. Performance of a Lifetime

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin   
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Performance of a Lifetime  
Rating: T Story contains content suitable for mature teens and older.  
Authors Note: The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and Padmé Amidala do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to Cariel. I thank her for allowing me to use her concept, for inspiring me to start this fanfiction, and for making such an awesome looking story banner. I also blame her for my new obsess…new loyalty to this fandom.  We are still in the present, AOTC; right after Dormé has left Anakin and Obi wan in the sitting area. The flashback scene takes place roughly in 27BBY shortly after the events in the Prologue.

Dormé strode through a small corridor towards the dressing room with Sabé close behind. She had not realized that she had been holding her breath for much of the conversation with the Jedi, until she felt Sabé's hand fall upon her shoulder.

"Just breathe, milady." Sabé said gently.

Once they had entered the senators' dressing room, Sabé dropped the pretense that Dormé was the Padmé. "You did very well Dormé, you can relax now."

"Thank you Sabé." She gave the older handmaiden a grateful smile as the other handmaidens came forward to help her change. "I was certain I had slipped up when I did not recognize Master Kenobi's padawan."

Sabé smiled. "Dormé you were flawless. As for not recognizing Jedi Skywalker, it has been years since the senator has seen him, so your reaction was perfect. Even I was surprised at just how convincing you can be and I trained you." She patted Dormé on the shoulder. "I will go and brief the senator on the Jedi's plans." Sabé said goodnight to the other handmaidens before exiting the dressing room.

Dormé nodded, watching Sabé leave. The older handmaidens' words had been encouraging and she could not help but be proud of herself. Moteé slowly untied the tight corset she was wearing. Dormé took in a big gulp of air now that Moteé had rid her of that particular article of clothing. "Oh, I will never get used to that thing."

Moteé smirked pulling the corset away from Dormé's body. "Well, not everyone is as petite as Padmé." She placed the corset aside, ready to hear Dormé dish on everything. "So, don't leave me in suspense now. Tell me what the Jedi were like. Was either of them cute?"

Dormé slipped on her own undergarments before sitting down so that Rabé and Ellé could take down her hair. Moteé's comment about weight threw her. She glanced in the mirror with a look of concern as Rabé began tutoring Ellé on how to unpin the intricate hairdo. Was she getting a little pudgy? When Moteé insisted on hearing details about the Jedi, Dormé blushed. "Moteé, it is not like I was there to ogle the senators' new protectors." She had to admit however, for much of the conversation she had focused her attention on Jedi Skywalker.

While Ellé set to work on her hair Dormé began to wipe off the heavy makeup she was wearing. Soon enough she could glimpse a hint of the tiny brown freckles that covered her nose and cheeks.

Moteé rolled her eyes as she straightened up. "Come on Dormé. You can tell me which one struck your fancy. I know that at least one of them did. Your face is a red as muja fruit, though not quite red enough to cover those hideous freckles of yours."

Dormé put a hand to her face. The tiny 'blemishes' had always made her a bit self-conscious. Moteé didn't help this feeling by constantly telling her to cover them up at all times, that she would look much prettier if she did. "Nothing very interesting happened. They are here to protect the senator not me. Besides, you know as well as I do that we are not supposed to get emotionally involved with anyone."

Rabé and Ellé finished with her hair. They left half of it up with the rest of her brown locks draping around her shoulders. Rabé decided now was the perfect time to join in on the conversation. "She is right Moteé. Our job is to protect Senator Amidala, not try, and snag ourselves a man."

Moteé stuck her tongue out and made a face. "You are so boring Rabé. Forgive me if I want to live a little before I die. Personally Rabé, I think you need a night on the town more than any of us."

"No thank you. Unlike you, I prefer to spend what little private time I have in corresponding with my family. Goodnight ladies." With that, Rabé took her leave but not before informing Dormé that Padmé wanted her decoy to make sure the Jedi had everything they needed.

Dormé put her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes. Her duties never seemed to end but she consoled herself with the fact that at least this task would give her the opportunity to see the handsome Jedi padawan again if nothing else.

Moteé handed Dormés dress to her. "I guess you have a full night ahead of you what with tending to the Jedi's every need." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Guess that means you won't be joining me at the clubs tonight."

Shrugging her shoulders Dormé held back an accompanying yawn. "I suppose not." In truth, she was somewhat relieved. After the day she had just had, Dormé was less than ecstatic about going to some crowded, noisy club.

Hardly bothered by the slight setback Moteé invited Ellé to join her. "I hate going out by myself Ellé; you'll come with me won't you?" With a pout on her lips and her hands folded together, Moteé easily swayed the younger handmaiden to join her on her for a night of fun.

Ellé bounced up and down, delighted at the invite. "This is going to be so exciting. I've never been for a night out on Coruscant."

Moteé put an arm around the girls shoulder. "You and I are going to have so much fun. Dormé here will be terribly jealous in the morning when we tell her all about it, won't you Dormé?"

Dormé gave Moteé and Ellé a weak smile. "I am sure you'll have a tremendously good time Ellé. Just be careful of how much you drink. Moteé has a way of forgetting she even brought someone with her when she finds a man to spend the nighttime hours with."

"Good advice from the girl who used to drink to excess when we went out. I am not a babysitter Dormé. After all, it's not my fault that the gentlemen flock to me more than they flock to you." Moteé countered.

Ellé giggled a bit unaware of the underlining tension between the two older handmaidens. "The men must be drawn in by both of you. They'll probably just ignore me." She looked down at her feet.

"Nonsense, you are a beautiful girl Ellé." Dormé said. She was standing behind the screen, as she slipped into her dress. "I am sure the men will be captivated by you." She finished attaching the last hook into place. Stepping out from behind the screen, Dormé smiled at Ellé.

Moteé again rolled her eyes. "You are worse than Rabé when it comes to all that sentimental drivel Dormé. I swear sometimes I fear I will fall asleep just listening to you both. Let's go Ellé, time for some real excitement." She began leading the younger handmaiden out the door.

Glancing back, Ellé gave Dormé a wave before departing with Moteé. Dormé waved back as the door shut. She closed her eyes; Ellé reminded Dormé so much of how she had been when she began her training. Naive as she was, it was a wonder how she had managed to get through that first meeting with Chancellor Palpatine.

FLASHBACK

Dormé sat nervously waiting. The chancellor had informed Queen Amidala that he wished to speak with her newest handmaiden in training. Dormé was convinced that he had discovered the use of her grandfathers' name on the application. She had used his name instead of her own because it held more stature. Now Dormé feared her secret was out and he would send her back to Uriash, or worse to some prison planet.

Wringing her hands together, Dormé practically jumped out of her skin when the chancellors' assistant told her that Palpatine would see her now. Slowly she approached the door to his office, which slid open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, the door swooshed closed behind her, causing her to look back in a bit of a panic.

Palpatine sat behind his desk. He glanced up from his work to see the young handmaiden entering. She looked very much like the Queen and he was certain he had made the correct decision in choosing her. "Ah, you must be Dormé Jaffa. Please child, come in, and sit. Can I offer you some tea?" He gave her what one could only describe as his best comforting smile.

Dormé curtsied before the chancellor before taking a seat in the chair he had gestured her to sit in. "Thank you, Chancellor, I do not drink tea though, but thank you", she whispered politely not wanting to offend him in anyway, but wanting to show the proper respect.

Sitting back down, he could feel the waves of panic Dormé exuded. Palpatine relished the sensation. He was sure he would have little trouble manipulating the little lost girl of Uriash. "Queen Amidala has told me about your brave journey to speak with her. Horrendous how the regulation of child labor laws in Uriash has gone unchecked. I have offered the Queen help in solving this matter. Soon enough we shall see to it that no child suffers as you have." Dormé's weak smile only assured him that he would succeed in winning her over.

"Thank you Chancellor." Dormé bowed her head in gratitude. She bit her lip wondering if that was all he wished to speak about with her.

Palpatine banished that thought with his next statement. "I have also spoken with your grandfather. He was rather shocked to hear about his granddaughter becoming a handmaiden." Shocked was putting it mildly. Raghvin Jaffa had not even known he had a granddaughter much less one who was using his name to attain a position with the Queen of Naboo. Upon discovering this bit of information, Jaffa had been less then pleased but had decided to let it go lest his family name suffer more degradation then it already had in years past. The added bonus of Dormés position gaining something for him was also a very powerful motivator for Jaffa's silence on the matter.

Dormé looked up at Palpatine in shock but she was quick to mask it. She had never even met her grandfather. Her mother had told her that he had disowned her because she had married a working class man. Edren Janren, Dormés father had come from a lower class family. Jaffa was furious when his daughter threw away her life of privilege to be with some 'street rat'. "How…how is my grandfather?" She asked, curious about the man who could easily destroy her future.

Baiting her was going to be easier then he thought. Palpatine began spinning the lies he had already constructed, "He is quite well. However, he was surprised that he had even had a granddaughter, but he was incredibly proud that you have come into a position of great importance."

She didn't know why she felt compelled to do so, but she began divulging just why her grandfather had no knowledge of her. "It is no surprise that he did not know about me Chancellor Palpatine. He disowned my mother for marrying someone of lower class origins. After that, he never contacted her again."

Palpatine gazed over at her. She had no idea he was already fully aware of the scandal her mother had caused, nor did she realize he was pulling the details from her using only a small amount of his powers. "Yes, he said the same thing. Your grandfather and I are old friends. He confided in me that he feels just awful about how your parents treated you. He assures me that he never meant for his anger and animosity towards your parents, to affect you."

Dormé shook her head, disturbed that her grandfather would feel so. "If you speak with him again, please tell him that he is not blame. I think my parents simply forgot about me with all the other troubles they were having." With all the fighting they did, it was a wonder they even acknowledged her presence as often as they had.

"My dear girl, a parent should never disregard their own child's welfare. After all, you are the future of this galaxy." He smiled as he sipped his tea.

More relaxed then when she entered his office, Dormés smile was not as forced this time. "Those are kind words chancellor, though I hardly doubt I have a great role to play in the future of our galaxy."

If only she was aware of what he had planned for her. "Nonsense dear child, you are being trained to perform an important service for the republic. With your beauty and youth, why, I am certain you will attain all your heart desires."

Dormé blushed at his compliment, looking down into her lap. The chancellor was a kinder man then she had ever met before. She wondered why she had been so nervous about meeting with him.

_All too easy_, he thought before setting his teacup down. "Now, I know you will be departing for Naboo later today, but your grandfather has entrusted me with looking after you. After meeting such a…fine, intelligent girl, I am glad I accepted his offer."

Once more, her grandfathers concern for her moved Dormé. She held back the grateful tears as she spoke. "I do not know what to say." As he stood up, she too rose to her feet.

Palpatine came around his desk, pleased with how well everything was going. He placed a wrinkled hand upon her shoulder as he guided her to the door. "There is no need for you to say anything my dear. You just do well with your training. Should you ever need any assistance with anything at all, do not be afraid to call upon me. I would be most pleased if you would think of me as…a grandfather." He smiled down at the girl who was now right where he wanted her to be.

Dormé looked up at the chancellor, her wide brown eyes filled with admiration for this man. "That…that is more than I…" This time she could not hold back the tears and they trickled down her cheeks. Though she knew it was definitely inappropriate, she hugged the chancellor.

Her tears fell onto his robes and he had to check the irritation he felt. "Now, now, dry those eyes. You are too pretty of a girl to look so terribly sad." Palpatine gently pulled her away from his robe and watched as she wiped the tears on her face.

"I…I am just so honored that you would show someone like me such generosity." Dormé stated. "I am sorry if I offended you chancellor. I should not have…oh I am so stupid" She spoke the last of her apology in a whisper to herself.

By now, Palpatine was growing weary of Dormés presence. His relief was profound when they reached the door and it slid open for them. "Well now, I am hardly offended my dear girl, but I daresay you must hurry along now or you will miss your transport."

She bowed to him, "Thank you again Chancellor Palpatine". Dormé stepped out of his office turning to look at him once more.

"The pleasure was mine Dormé. Hurry now." He said shooing her off in a fatherly way. She bowed once more then hurried off to catch her transport back to Naboo.

END FLASHBACK

Dormé smiled at the memory. The chancellor had been immensely kind to her over the years. She had yet to need his assistance, but was glad to know that should she ever be in need of help she would have someone to turn to.

Taking one last look in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, Dormé exited the dressing room heading back towards the living area to tidy up and check up on the two Jedi protectors.

As she walked back into the living area, Dormé spotted Jedi Skywalker standing by the window. He did not notice her entrance so she cleared her throat before speaking, in an attempt to get his attention. "Excuse me." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Anakin had been daydreaming about Padmé as he gazed at the skies of Coruscant. Hearing the woman's voice, he spun around, hoping to see her. To his extreme disappointment, he saw only one of her handmaidens. "Oh…um…does Senator Amidala need something?" He asked, trying to sound professional.

"No…milady has retired for the evening. She asked me to make sure you and Master Kenobi had everything you needed. I could fix you both something to eat or drink if you wish?" Dormé said her eyes fixed on the man in front of her. He was certainly attractive enough and obviously quite fixated on Padmé.

"Uh, no thank you miss. When Master Kenobi returns, though he may want something." He shrugged his shoulders before turning back to look out the window.

Dormé nodded but by then he wasn't looking at her anymore. She stared at him for a moment or two before turning around and going into the kitchen to fix something to eat. The last time she had eaten anything was earlier that morning before all the chaos began and now she was starving.

Anakin sighed. He really wanted to speak with Padmé again. Ten years had passed since he has seen her last, yet she hadn't changed a bit. She was still as angelic and beautiful as she used to be. His ears picked up the sound of her handmaiden in the kitchen. There was something odd about the girl. Something in the sound of her voice that was strangely familiar but he was certain he had never seen her before.

While she waited for her bread to heat up, Dormé stirred some dried, ground up Nola grass into the mixture she was stirring. She smiled with her eyes closed at the wonderful aroma. Putting the spoon down, she went to find something she could snack on after dinner. Luckily, she had made some of her conundrum the night before.

Dormé resolved to retrieve the dessert once her dinner had finished and went back to stirring the aromatic soup.

The delicious smell wafting from the kitchen broke Anakin out of his thoughts. He began sniffing the air, with each step moving closer to the doorway of the kitchen. "Mmm, that smells heavenly."

Dormé scooped out a bowl of the soup. Anakin spoke up just as she turned around. He was standing right behind her. She was so startled that she jumped, spilling the soup on the front of his tunic and onto her own hands.

Anakin looked down at his now very damp and hot clothes. He cringed as the liquid began to burn his skin.

Utterly embarrassed, Dormé set to work trying to wipe off her scalding hot dinner from his outfit. "Oh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to…you just startled me…and I…oh…oh dear." How could she have been so clumsy?

She kept patting away at his chest, which only pressed the hot material against his skin more. "Stop, stop. Its alright…I shouldn't have snuck up on you." He gently pushed her hands away taking the towel out of them. Anakin lifted his gaze to her face and smiled. She looked close to tears. "Don't worry about it, really."

Dormé knelt down to pick the bowl up off the floor. "No, I should have been more careful." After the long day she had her emotions where now getting the best of her.

Anakin finished wiping his tunic off then knelt down beside her. He watched her pick up a few of the shattered pieces of her bowl before noticing how red her hands were. "Your hands, there burnt, let me see them."

Only now, after Anakin made mention about of her, did she notice how red they were. The pain from her burns began to register. Dormé winced but gently let go of the broken bowl.

He took her hands in his own. After years of lightsaber use, his hands were incredibly rough and he hoped he would not cause her any further injury. To his surprise, her hands were almost as rough. She had a few calluses as well. He examined each hand carefully. Thankfully, only the backs of her hands suffered any injury. "Some bacta salve should take care of these. Do you have any here?"

Dormé nodded looking up at his face. "Yes, I believe so. There should be a first aid kit under that counter." She pointed to one of the counters on the far side of the kitchen.

Anakin got up and went to search for the kit. He looked back at her for a moment, "I've had to use this stuff so many times. It's a wonder my skin isn't made of bacta salve by now." He laughed before continuing his search.

His comment made Dormé smile. "Well, after the day I have had this just gives it the perfect ending." She gave a bitter laugh but winced when her hand scraped against the fabric of her dress. "Ouch".

After finding the salve, Anakin sat back down next to her on the floor and began to spread the gooey, viscous liquid over her burns. He realized that he did not even know her name and let out another weak laugh. "Here I am tending to your wounds and we don't even know each others names."

Dormé blushed at her lack of manners. She was grateful that he did not seem to be too offended. "Rather uncouth of both us I suppose." She giggled

Anakin joined in her laughter. "Master Kenobi would be incredibly grumpy if he knew I had forgotten my manners. I'm Anakin Skywalker." His fingers spread a bit more salve onto her burns before wrapping her hands up in some gauze.

"My name is Dormé and thank you." They stared at each other for several silent moments. She could not help but notice how blue his eyes were.

Taking his first real glimpse of her, Anakin realized that Dormé had tiny freckles over her nose and cheeks. He had never seen anyone with them before but he had to admit they made her look incredibly attractive.

Dormé was the first to look away, feeling like they had stared at each other for far too long. "I should clean up this mess." She mumbled and went back to picking up the broken pieces of her bowl.

Anakin stood up straightening out his tunic. Turning on the sink, he cleaned his hands of the bacta and dried them. "Yes, I should probably check in on Pad…I mean…the senator, make sure everything is alright."

It was silly of her to think he would want to spend any more time with her. He had other duties to perform. She looked up at him and smiled brightly. "I will let you see to your duties, of course."

He smiled at her before heading back into the sitting room.

Dormé sighed, beyond frustration. She tossed the broken bowl into the trash then grabbed another towel to wipe up the soup that had spilled onto the floor. The entire time she mumbled at how ridiculous she must have sounded to him. He was a Jedi and though she knew little about them, they were obviously important people. Her she was babbling away like an idiot with him.

Anakin went over to the camera screens to make sure Padmé was all right. To his disappointment, the camera in her room blurred as if something had covered it. "Oh man, Obi wan is going to kill me." He moaned aloud.

Just as Anakin spoke his name, Obi wan came back into the room. "And just what am I going to kill you for now, my young padawan?" He strode over to the younger man who looked extremely upset.

Before Anakin could answer, Dormé came back into the sitting area. When he spotted her, he grinned, thankful for her timely intrusion. "Uh, I believe the young woman wants a moment of your time master."

Obi wan turned spotting the handmaiden. There was something incredibly familiar about her. His gaze lingered as he tried to remember and when he did, he was quick to disguise the surprise and vague amusement from his face. It appeared Senator Amidala was not above using the same ruse twice.

Dormé looked up, "Forgive my interruption. The Senator asked me to make sure…that…I mean to see if you and your padawan were comfortable. I…I made some soup if either of you are hungry." She stumbled over her words trying not to make eye contact with Anakin. One embarrassing moment with him was enough for the night.

"Is that what I smell?" Obi wan sniffed the air. Strangely enough, the closer he got to his padawan the stronger the smell of the soup was. "Did you already have some Anakin, or did you decide to wear it instead?"

Anakin blushed, "No master, there was a minor accident. Luckily no one was to seriously hurt." Again, he tried to sound professional. He felt horrible enough as it was that his clumsiness had led to Dormés' burned hands.

Obi wan shook his head, rubbing his beard when he noted the handmaidens wrapped up hands. "Need I remind you Anakin, that we are here representing the Jedi Council and to protect the senator. However, we should also try not to cause any damage to her handmaidens."

"I am sorry Master." Anakin said his head bowed. There were times when he felt he would never live up to Obi wans' expectations.

Dormé was never one to speak out of turn and she had no idea what prompted her do so then, but she found she could not bear to see Anakin berated for something that was so obviously not his fault. "If I may, it was not your padawans' fault. I…I slipped and the bowl fell out of my hands. If anyone is to blame it is me." Her eyes locked with Anakin's before she shyly looked back at the Jedi Master.

Obi wan had witnessed the Lady Sabé in the role of decoy years ago. Unlike so spoken Sabé, even when not acting as Padmé Amidala, he could tell that this handmaiden was of a unique personality. "Well, if there is anything I or my padawan may do, perhaps help clean up any mess created?"

Shaking her head, "No, that will not be necessary. The soup is in a pot on the stove if either of you are hungry." Dormé gestured behind her towards the kitchen as she spoke.

"I thank you." Obi wan said with a kind nod of his head. "It smells very good, but I am not hungry at the moment. A cup of tea would not be frowned upon however that is if it is not to troublesome."

"I would love some soup." Anakin finally spoke up. The aroma had caught his attention before and now his stomach was beginning to protest.

Dormé smiled shyly, "Of course, I will bring you a bowl and some tea." She slipped back into the kitchen. She setup a teacup and saucer for Master Kenobi, placing the teapot on the stove to warm up. Pulling out two more bowls, she carefully scooped the liquid into them. She could hear the Jedi talking about the cameras in the Senators room. Padmé had obviously covered them over causing some apprehension on Master Kenobi's part. Pouring the hot water into the teapot, she grabbed the only tea Padmé had available and put it down onto the tray. Wiping her hands on a towel, Dormé picked up both bowls, put them onto the tray. Lifting the tray, she returned to the sitting area.

When Anakin saw her approach, he smiled. When she handed the bowl over to him, he took in the wonderful smell. "Mmm, it smells delicious."

Dormé smiled "It's not much, just a simple recipe I created". She placed the teapot down in front of Master Kenobi who bowed his head in thanks. "I am sorry but this is the only tea that the senator has." She said apologetically.

Shaking his head, Obi wan reassured her. "This is fine. Thank you." He readied his tea while Anakin immediately set to work on his soup.

Dormé was interested in the current situation involving Senator Amidala. "Is there something wrong with milady? I could not help but overhear, you both sounded a bit concerned a moment ago?"

This time Anakin was the first to speak up. "The Senator has blocked off the cameras in her room. I guess she didn't like the idea of me…I mean us watching her."

Dormé sighed. "Milady is very careful when it comes to her privacy. With the great deal of attention she receives from the media, she has to be."

"Unfortunately, with the recent attempt on her life, I am afraid that her actions will endanger her life more than necessary. This is a matter of security after all." Obi wan crossed his arms as he spoke.

"I understand. I am sure she has programmed the R2 unit in her room to warn you of any danger, but I will see if I can convince her to uncover at least one of the cameras so that you have a better chance to catch whatever fiend is trying to kill her." Dormé offered politely.

Obi wan was always impressed with the dedication Padmés' handmaidens had for her safety. "That would be most appreciated, Lady…" it was then he realized he had not learned her name.

Before Dormé could answer, Anakin had swallowed his spoonful of soup and was introducing her. "This is Dormé, master."

Sighing inwardly at Anakin's behavior, "Yes, thank you Anakin and thank you Lady Dormé. Please assure her that it is only for her safety."

"Of course, I shall say goodnight to you then." Dormé bowed for what felt like the millionth time that evening before heading for the senators bedchambers, bowl of soup in hand.

Anakin watched her leave, feeling a bit of unexpected disappointment at her departure. He brushed it off as Obi wan attempted to gain his attention.

"Anakin, are you listening to me at all?" Obi wan stood in front of him, arms folded across his chest.

"Yes, master of course." Anakin said moving across the room with Obi wan to stand by the windows.

Obi wan shook his head, following the younger man over towards the windows. He made no further remarks about Anakin's behavior, but did inform his padawan of the security situation on all floors of the building. After awhile the pair drifted into silence, with Anakin thinking about Padmé, while Obi wan focused upon whom the senators would be assassin might be.

Dormé wandered down the hallway towards Padmés bedroom. She hoped that she could quickly convince the senator, perhaps then she could retire for the night. Stepping quietly towards the doorway, Dormé saw that Padmé was still awake speaking with Sabé. Not wanting to disturb them, she waited patiently to enter.

"Dormé, please come in." Padmé said when she saw her decoy. "Sabé was telling me how well you did with the Jedi."

"Thank you milady; I did not mean to interrupt. I have straightened out the living area and the Jedi are comfortable. They did ask me to…to ask you…about the cameras." Dormé spoke softly.

Sabé glanced over at Padmé, folding her arms over her chest. "I told you that Master Kenobi would be unimpressed with you covering them up. It is for your safety that they were installed."

Padmé groaned inwardly. "Yes Sabé, I am well aware of that. However, having two men eyeballing my every move while I am in the privacy of my own chambers is something I will not have." Truthfully, she would not have put up such a fuss, but she could clearly see how her presence affected Anakin. The thought of him watching her while she slept just made her very uncomfortable.

Dormé put her bowl down as she stepped closer to Sabé and Padmé. Remembering what she had said to Anakin and Master Kenobi, "Perhaps, if you allow one camera milady, to put our minds and those of the Jedi at ease". After all, her handmaidens were just as concerned for Padmés' safety as these Jedi seemed to be.

"That is out of the question Dormé. R2 has been programmed and that should be enough for you and the Jedi." Padmé argued stubbornly.

Sabé paced back and forth trying to come up with an ultimatum. Watching Dormé and Padmé together, the most obvious solution came to her mind. How had she not thought of it before? "I think I might have a way to solve this little problem. Dormé can stay here; she is, after all, your decoy."

Padmé pondered this plan. It had merit. Dormé was an excellent decoy and if there were to be another assassination attempt, the Jedi would put a stop to it long before the young handmaiden suffered any harm. "That might work." She turned her gaze to Dormé.

"Dormé, I must ask that you play the role of my decoy. You will sleep here and I in your chambers." Her gaze went back to Sabé. "Once Dormé has changed and is in bed, make sure one of the cameras is uncovered, so that the Jedi believe you have persuaded me to see reason."

Dormé, flabbergasted by the former decoys idea, had little time to react. Padmé had already gone to pull out a nightgown for her to wear, while Sabé began helping her out of her dress. The older handmaiden paused to examine Dormés' hands. "What happened here?"

Embarrassed about her moment of clumsiness, especially seeing as how one of the Jedi was involved, Dormé pulled her hands away carefully. "Nothing, I just spilled some of the soup I made." She tried to sound nonchalant. They had stopped stinging as the bacta went to work and she would be able to have them unwrapped in the morning.

Sabé shook her head. "We will have to hope they are healed enough now. You must look like the senator even as you sleep." The older handmaiden began to pull away the gauzy material.

Dormé sighed as Sabé peeled away the last of the gauze. Her skin was still slightly red but not as fiercely as it had looked. She hoped that in the dark, the Jedi would not notice her hands.

"Hmm, not too bad; luckily bacta salve works quickly." Sabé stated giving Dormé a quick smirk as she let the younger girls hands go.

Padmé returned with one of her nightgowns. "Here, this will do nicely."

Dormé looked at the nightgown Padmé had brought over. The cut and style was like nothing Dormé would wear. To try to sleep in something like this had to be terribly uncomfortable. "Are you certain this is necessary milady?"

Thinking that her decoy was still somewhat unsure in her duties, Padmé was quick to be reassuring. "You have been one of the best decoys I have had Dormé, with the exception of Sabé here of course." She smiled over at Sabé. "This task will be easy; all you have to do is sleep. The Jedi will do the rest."

Sighing, Dormé took the nightgown from Padmé and slipped it over her head. As she thought, the material was anything but comfortable. There were no sleeves but the straps were beaded and dug into her skin. Dormé wondered just how Padmé slept in something like this.

"Only one more thing to do", Sabé said as she walked around to Dormés' back. She unpinned Dormés hair. The slightly curly brown locks tumbled down, lying gently on her shoulders. Sabé fussed with Dormés' hair for a bit longer before stepping back. "There, that's perfect."

Padmé nodded. "Alright, I will take my leave now. You just get into bed and Sabé will uncover the camera before she leaves." She put her hands on Dormés' shoulders. "You will be fine Dormé."

"Yes milady." Dormé responded quietly. She watched as Padmé went back to pick up the soup bowl before departing through the secret hallways that her handmaidens used. Dormé shook her head, realizing upsettingly, that she would not be eating tonight. She climbed into the senators' bed, pulling the covers over herself.

Sabé went over to one of the cameras and pulled the covering off it. She looked over at Dormé once then she too hurried out, following Padmés' steps.

Now she was alone, trying to pull off the performance of her life. Desperate to fall asleep after the insanity this day had brought, Dormé closed her eyes. She opened them soon after and shifted to her side. As she moved the straps on her nightgown slipped further down her arms. Grunting in frustration, she yanked them back up.

Eventually, sleep won out over everything and Dormés' eyes fluttered closed. Her last thoughts were that it was going to be a very long night.

"You've made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken." Obi wan reminded his young padawan as they moved through the suite.

Anakin simply nodded his head. His mind was not truly on the conversation though. Being near Padmé again was, as he had told Master Kenobi, intoxicating. "I know, I know."

Obi wan went on to reiterate that Padmé was a politician and not to be trusted. Anakin found Obi wans' statement rather unfair. "Your generalizing master, the chancellor doesn't appear to be corrupt." Anakin would be haunted by these words years later.

They continued their debate but paused, feeling a shift in the force. Anakin looked over at Obi wan in shock.

"I sense it too." Obi wan confirmed and they raced toward the senators' bedroom.

Dormé had only just fallen asleep when both Jedi burst into the room. Anakin practically threw himself onto the bed, swinging his lightsaber. The broken body of a deadly kouhun hit the opposite wall. She glanced up in shock at Anakin who peered down curiously at her. The lights from the city illuminated her face; she was beautiful, but Padmé didn't have those little freckles, only…He whispered, "Dormé?"

Obi wan crashing through the window quickly drew their attention away from each other. Anakin looked away, thrown by this development. Deciding he had better follow Obi wan, he jumped off the bed but not before looking back at Dormé one last time, "Stay here". He ran towards the door just as Typho, Sabé, and several guards rushed in.

Sabé sat down on the bed in front of Dormé. "Are you alright?"

Dormé lifted her hands to her face. Sabé and Padmé had forgotten one crucial thing when they had formed this plan, the makeup to cover her freckles. Anakin must have noticed them right away. She glanced up at Sabé in somewhat of a daze, "I think we have a problem."

Tbc

Oh dear, what will happen next? I know that you might be slightly bored with this story because it is going rather slow. I promise to you all, things will begin to pick up shortly. Please leave a little feedback for me. 


	4. Agressive Negotiations

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat

Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Aggressive Negotiations  
Rating: PG/PG13/R (Future Chapters)  
Authors Note: So sorry for the long wait. I'm utterly busy with school and I got involved in making Icons and Manips for this ship. Anyway, here is the next chapter in my Dormékin tale.

The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and Padmé Amidala do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to Cariel.

Dormé was still shaking as she sat on one of the couches in the sitting area. Saché and Typho were going back and forth from the suite to the command center downstairs for reports on the situation. Padmé, now awake from the ruckus, sat besides her trying to calm the poor handmaiden down. Sabé sent the other handmaidens, who had awakened to the crashing of glass, back to their rooms. The former decoy now stood in the kitchen heating up some water for tea.

"Calm yourself Dormé, everything is alright now. You are safe." Padmé placed a hand on the younger girls' shoulders. The whole experience must have been terrifying for Dormé. To make matters worse, if Dormé was right, Anakin now knew about her decoy.

Looking over at Padmé, Dormé tried to smile when all she really wanted to do was get into her own bedclothes and go to sleep. "Really milady, I'm alright. Just a bit shocked and tired, but none the worse for wear." She did not want Padmé to think she was unfit to be her decoy.

Sabé came back into the room with tea. "Here, this will calm your nerves Dormé." She put the tray down onto a small table and handed Dormé one of the teacups.

The smell was foul and almost made her sick, but Dormé took a sip of it to humor both women. "Thank you" she whispered between sips.

"We have a problem Sabé. In our rush to place Dormé in my place tonight, we neglected to mask her distinct facial differences." Padmé gestured to the freckles on Dormés face. "Unfortunately, Jedi Skywalker noticed. Dormé believes that he is aware of our deception."

"Perhaps it is better this way milady. Master Kenobi already has knowledge of your use of decoys. If he does not already suspect that Dormé is not you, he would soon enough. I am sure we can form a better plan to protect you if you tell the Jedi the truth. No one else need know." Sabé sighed as she sat down across from Padmé and Dormé. She was actually surprised their ruse had lasted this long. Then again, even if he already knew, Obi wan was not one to interfere.

Dormé shook her head. "I'm so sorry milady. This is my fault. I should have thought about covering my face." She put the teacup down, unable to drink anymore. "It was unbelievably irresponsible of me."

Padmé was quick to respond. "You did not exactly get the chance to do so Dormé. This is not your fault. It is no ones fault, but those who are trying to put an end to my life." She lifted her head high, as strong, and confident as always. "We must simply adapt. When Master Kenobi and Jedi Skywalker return we will do as Sabé suggested."

They would not have to wait long. No sooner had Padmé finished speaking, when the doors opened, and both Jedi stepped back into the suite. They looked winded but nonetheless for wear. The room grew suddenly quiet as the two men approached.

Obi wan bowed to Padmé. It appeared that the good senator had finally seen fit to show herself. "Good evening Senator Amidala. My apologies for the chaos, I hope that you are uninjured." He kept his expression neutral.

Padmé stood up to address Obi wan. "Master Kenobi, please sit. Sabé, please bring more tea for our guests." Her own expression was cool. Though she could feel Anakin's eyes on her, she barely glanced at him as she returned to her own seat.

Sabé nodded, sparing Obi wan a sideways glance before heading back into the kitchen to fetch more tea and hot water.

Obi wan gave a nod of his head to Sabé, and then sat down. He could feel Anakin's impatience with the situation, but discretion was required in this situation. "We were able to apprehend one of the persons responsible for the attempt on…your life tonight senator." He paused throwing a look over at Dormé who avoided looking at either man. "However, this assailant was killed by another, a bounty hunter, before we could learn anything of use."

Padmé nodded listening intently. "Do you have any leads to who this other bounty hunter might be?"

"I am sorry senator, but no. We were able to retrieve the poison dart used to kill your assailant, but until we have it analyzed by the computers in the Jedi temple there is no way of knowing just who this bounty hunter is or where they came from." Obi wan explained as Sabé returned. She handed him a cup of tea. Their hands brushed for a moment before Obi wan thanked her politely.

"Well, it seems as if this mystery will remain unsolved for the moment. I want to thank both you and Jedi Skywalker for your quick work tonight. Dormé would be dead now had you not been here." Padmé stated politely though her expression remained just as cool as before.

Anakin had been glancing back and forth between Dormé and Padmé. Seeing them both besides each other, Anakin was now certain that Padmé was not the one he had saved. What he didn't understand was why? Granted he was aware of her use of decoys. He had witnessed this tactic ten years ago. Padmé had fooled Obi wan and Master Qui Gon with that trick. However, he was curious and irritated that she had not made them aware of her plans. Their lack of knowledge about the switch could have placed not only her life, but Dormés' as well. For some strange reason, that grated on his nerves. "Maybe the Senator would care to enlighten us on why she chose to leave her Jedi protectors out of the loop?"

Obi wan looked over at his padawan with a look that quickly silenced the younger man before focusing his attention once more on Padmé. "Senator, we understand the need for you to have your decoys." His eyes flickered over to Sabé.

Padmé nodded. "They are…an unfortunate necessity in my line of work Master Kenobi."

"We are in agreement on that Senator Amidala. My only concern is your safety. If we are to protect you from these assassins you must trust our judgment." Obi wan, ever the negotiator calmly replied.

Dormé watched the interaction between Padmé and Kenobi but found her attention constantly drawn to Anakin whose eyes remained locked on the senator. She vaguely heard Padmé reluctantly agreeing with the Jedi. Only when she felt Sabé's hand on her shoulder telling her she could go to her own chambers for the night, did Dormé finally draw her gaze away from Anakin.

The Next Day

Anakin stood patiently as Padmé and Dormé packed for the trip back to Naboo. Dormé was dressed in what he assumed was Padmés traveling outfit, while Padmé was dressed as one of her handmaidens. The sight was odd to say the least. The two women were speaking quietly, while packing for the trip back to Naboo.

Originally, the Jedi Council had assigned him the duty of accompanying the senator. However, when he had asked Chancellor Palpatine for help in convincing Padmé that she should leave Coruscant for her own safety, the older man was quick to offer another suggestion.

A much wiser and far safer move, in Palpatines opinion, would be to send Padmés' decoy instead. This would lure the assassins away from Coruscant, thus keeping Senator Amidala better protected. To Anakin this seemed like a reasonable plan, but he was not sure if he should put it before the members of the council. A part of him was disappointed that he would not be able to spend more time in Padmés' presence. Palpatine has assured him that they would concede to this change with his encouragement, and he was correct.

When Anakin had informed Padmé of this decision, she was less then pleased. The only reason she finally relented was that it would give her the opportunity to keep close contact with the Loyalist Committee Members during the discussions about the Military Creation act. She had worked long and hard, fighting against the creation of an army for the republic. She absolutely refused to go into hiding right when the fate of the act was to be decided.

He was pleased that he had been able to speak to Padmé…finally. Her icy attitude quickly deflated that joy. Anakin watched as she gave more instructions to Dormé, and then strode out of the bedroom without so much as nod in his direction. His eyes remained fixed upon her retreating form, a frown curling his lips until a snicker from Dormé caused him to break the gaze.

Dormé rolled her eyes as she placed another outfit into the metal suitcase. She adjusted the headpiece she was wearing. "Careful, you are going to burn a hole in her back if you keep staring." She retreated again to the closet to fetch the last item.

Anakin looked at Dormé before turning his gaze away, embarrassed. He cleared his throat before speaking. "It has been years since I have seen Padmé." He stopped before correcting himself. "I mean Senator Amidala, but she…she is still very…lovely." He fidgeted as Dormé came back towards the bed to place one final gown into the suitcase before closing it.

Dormé latched the suitcase closed. She wondered why the affectionate tone in his voice when he spoke about Padmé, caused her heart to sink. It would be months before Dormé would come to realize the reason for this. For now, she shook off her melancholy and pasted another smile on her face. "She is very beautiful…and very concerned about this entire plan, as am I."

"Chancellor Palpatine believes that Senator Amidala will be far safer here then traveling across the galaxy. He is a wise man. I trust his judgment." Anakin stepped over to her side. As he had the night before he felt the shift in her moods. She was probably still frightened about last nights attack.

"I know and I trust his judgment. The Chancellor was one of the Senators most loyal advisors when she was Queen of Naboo. He has been…kind to me as well." She paused taking a calming breath then released it. With a weak smile she continued. "I suppose I am just nervous about all this."

Anakin was curious as to what she meant about the Chancellor's kindness towards her. He put it down in his mind as something to inquire about at another time. For now, he did his best to try to lighten the mood as well as alleviate his own apprehensions, "I think as long as we don't have anymore incidents with scalding hot bowls of soup we both should fair well".

Dormé could not help but laugh at his silly comment. "I agree. No more hot soup for either of us for awhile." They shook hands quickly before Dormé again had to adjust the crown like headpiece. She would be glad when she could remove it completely.

Anakin was pleased that he had made her laugh, yet had no idea why. Dormé was pretty and though she was not his angel, even he admitted she was attractive. As her laughter faded, he took noticed that her freckles were missing.

"I believe that the packing is done. Milady said she would be waiting in the sitting area. There were a few things she wanted to discuss with Captain Typho before we depart for the transport station." Dormé said as she tried to lift one of the suitcases.

Watching her struggle, Anakin quickly went to help her. His hands came to rest over hers on the handle. "Here, let me help you with that." He looked down at her just as she looked up at him. At first, Anakin recognized that he had startled her, saw the slight blush creep onto her face before she removed her hand, and looked away. Clearing his throat again, he lifted the suitcase, allowing her to take the lighter bag. "I'm sure that the Senator wants to be done with this quickly. Master Kenobi will be waiting to speak to me before we leave for Naboo as well." Before she could say anything else, he walked quickly out of the room.

Dormé followed shortly after. This time it was her eyes burning a hole through his back.

"Jedi Skywalker, take care of Dormé. The threat will be on you two now." Padmé addressed him formally. They finally arrived at the transport station. Dormé and Anakin would soon be setting off to Naboo.

Dormé nodded. "He'll be safe with me." The encouraging smile broke and a tear rolled down her cheek. The thought of leaving Padmé alone without proper protection left her feeling as if she were abandoning the Senator.

Padmé placed a hand on Dormés' shoulder. Thinking the younger girl was terrified of this mission, Padmé did her best to comfort her. "You'll be fine Dormé."

"It's not me milady, I worry about you. What if the assassins realize that you are still here at the capital?" Dormé related her concern softly.

"Then my other handmaidens and Captain Typho will have to prove how good they are at their jobs. Don't worry." Padmé gave Dormé a small smile trying to assure her decoy.

While Padmé was speaking with Dormé, Anakin was receiving instructions from Obi wan. He nodded his head, agreeing with everything his master said before turning his eyes back towards the two women.

Obi wan sighed before addressing the senator and her decoy. "We'll get to the bottom of this quickly milady. You'll be back here in no time."

Padmé bowed her head in gratitude. "I will be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi as will Dormé I am sure."

Anakin looked out one of the windows noticing that their transport back to Naboo was beginning to board. "It's time to go."

Dormé looked over at him and nodded her head. She and Padmé shared a quick hug and she whispered to Padmé. "Be careful milady."

"You too Dormé, good luck" Padmé whispered back before they pulled apart.

Dormé picked up her bag and stepped off the transport, Anakin stepping off right after her.

He stopped at hearing Obi wan's voice. "Anakin, may the force be with you."

"May the force be with you master." They bowed their heads to one another and then Anakin began walking besides Dormé.

Dormé felt her hands sliding along the handle to her bag; her hands were so damp from sweat. "Suddenly I am more frightened than I already was." She spoke calmly as they strode forward.

Though he did not want to admit it openly, Anakin was beginning to feel on edge as well. "This is my first mission on my own so…I'm kind of scared too."

"Well, that's comforting." Dormé glanced over at him, not quite amused by this factor.

Anakin glanced over at her, an almost mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Don't worry, we have Artoo with us." He pointed back at the little droid following them.

Dormés' eyebrows furrowed as she looked back. She had not even realized the little astro-droid was behind them. As she turned her gaze back to Anakin, he began to laugh and soon she was joining him.

Obi wan watched the pair get further and further away, his hand leaning against the doorframe of the transport. "I hope he doesn't try anything foolish."

Padmé stood next to him, with Typho right behind her. "I would be more concerned, Master Kenobi, about her doing something, than him."

Typho grinned at the grim looks both Padmé and Obi wan gave each other.

None of them had any idea just how interesting and complicated things were going to get.

Anakin and Dormé sat quietly eating in the packed dining area of the ship. Occasionally they would look at each other, ask how the food was, and other small talk, but for much of the time they remained silent. Dormé was a ball of nerves. She rarely experienced flying in space. The only times she had were the few trips from Naboo to Coruscant.

The silence was far too uncomfortable for Anakin's liking. He could sense that his companion was not at ease. Her posture screamed with how tense she was. Perhaps if he got her talking it might take her mind off whatever was troubling her. "I'm looking forward to seeing Naboo again. It's…by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen."

Dormé sipped her drink before replying. "I have only seen Naboo and Coruscant. I spent the first years of my training in Theed, but that was several years ago. I would imagine that the capital has seen some changes since then."

"I remember when I first saw it, compared to my home planet, Naboo was a paradise." Anakin spoke as he placed his spoon down on the table.

"Where is your home planet, if I may ask?" Her eyes grew wide at her bluntness. "I am sorry, that is entirely none of my business." Dormé wiped her mouth, blushing when she realized he might think she was prying.

Anakin shook his head, "That's alright, I don't mind. I was born on Tatooine. My mother raised me there until I was nine. What about you, I know you're from Naboo of course, but did you live in the capital city?"

It was Dormés' turn to shake her head. "Oh no, my family lived in the town of Uriash. It is smaller then Theed. Uriash is a mercantile town; factories and such." The thought of those factories sent a chill down her spine making it difficult for her to swallow her drink.

He saw the momentary shiver that went through her body. Anakin thought that maybe the coldness of space was getting to her. "Are you alright? I can see if I can find a blanket if your cold?"

"No, I am alright. Tell me…what is it like to be a Jedi? I know so very little about the Jedi, only what Lady Sabé has told me." Dormé proceeded to draw the conversation away from her background. That life was long over. She did not want to think about those days.

Anakin wiped his mouth before sitting back. "Hard, it is a hard life. The codes of the Jedi are strict as are the lessons. There are places I would like to go and things I would like to do, but my commitment to the Order prevents me from doing so." Realizing how selfish he must sound, Anakin was quick to add, "Obi wan is a good teacher though." He paused, thinking about his mother. "One of the most difficult things about becoming a Jedi is not being able to see my mother. I…I miss her."

It was hard for Dormé to relate to his obvious affection for his mother. She had never been very close with her own mother. However, she could tell by the tone of his voice that the pain of not being able to visit her weighed heavily on him. "Handmaidens and Jedi share one thing in common. We too do not get to enjoy the company of our families very often."

Anakin shook his head. He was happy to have someone who could understand. "It's hard to be away from the ones we love."

Dormé nodded. The mood was starting to depress her. It was time to cheer them both up a bit. "Lady Sabé told me that Jedi are forbidden to love." She was not sure how Sabé had come about that knowledge, but she did recall that the former decoy and Master Kenobi seemed to be rather friendly the previous night. Brushing thoughts of Sabé aside, she smirked, "If that is true, than what do you know about love?" She teased him but was pleased that he did not seem to take offense.

"Attachment is, forbidden as is possession. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life." His grin grew ever wider as he spoke. "So you might say we are encouraged to love." Anakin explained, leaning forward. "Do the handmaidens have similar codes?"

Dormé sat back, her hands in her lap. "Attachment is not necessarily forbidden. Handmaidens swear their lives to the duty of protection. A duty…that at times calls for the greatest sacrifice a person can make." Thoughts of Cordé came to her mind. "Some of the girls have chosen to forgo any emotional attachments because of their duties. We are not shut-ins' who do not see people socially, but we are encouraged not to get too close to the people we meet. Usually a handmaiden will only settle down when she has retired and left her duty." Dormé frowned, "Possession; however, depends on the handmaiden. Most of the girls come from…wealthier families then I so their families send them fancy things from time to time."

Anakin was hesitant to speak about his youth on Tatooine, but her somber mood about how wealthy the other girls were, compared to her made him trust that she would not tease him about his upbringing. "I grew up as a slave. The only true possessions I had were the ones I built. My pod racer and the protocol droid I made for my mother. I was still a happy kid though. My mom was always there making sure of that. When I became a Jedi, not having possessions didn't really matter to me. "

Images from her own childhood flashed across Dormés' mind. Every moment she had worked in the factories in Uriash had been utter torment. Her eyes fixed upon the man sitting across from her. He might have grown up a slave, but he had been happy. That was a feeling she had only felt after fleeing to Theed. Dormé wondered silently if Anakin knew how lucky he was.

Her silence concerned him and he decided to shift the conversation again. As Anakin leaned backward in his chair, preparing to ask her about her hobbies, the chair tilted further then he wanted. Unable to regain his balance both he and the chair went flying backwards. His whole body went end over end and he just narrowly missed crashing into a passenger who was walking by. He landed awkwardly on his side, his lightsaber digging into his hip.

The whole thing happened so quickly Dormé had little time to react before her companion went flying backwards, landing with a thud. She jumped out of her seat, nearly tripping over the long gown she was wearing, and hurried over to help him. Dormé placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he sat up. "Are you hurt?"

Anakin groaned getting back on his feet with Dormés' help. The only injury he had sustained was to his pride. "No…I don't think so." He winced, "So much for my 'great' Jedi reflexes huh?" He looked down at her noticing that she was desperately holding back her laughter. "Well don't hurt yourself trying not to laugh."

Dormé held one hand over her mouth to muffle the giggles that were escaping. "I'm…I'm sorry." She patted his shoulder with the other hand, "If it makes you feel any better…I don't think anyone else was paying attention." She glanced around the crowded galley. Most of the people who had witnessed the fall had already gone back to their conversations. "Besides", she began then whispered. "It is good to know that I am not the only one who has clumsy moments."

Though embarrassed by the entire thing, he could not help but agree that everyone else seemed oblivious. That eased a bit of the blow his ego had taken. Dormés cheer was also an adequate balm to his bruised pride. He smiled, "I suppose it could have been worse. I could have been holding a bowl of soup."

Dormé stopped laughing and gave him an incredulous look. Anakin winked back at her, and then they both burst into laughter again. Their behavior began to draw curious states and she decided it would be a good idea to head back to their room.

Palpatine smirked with immense pleasure when he received word that Amidalas' decoy and Skywalker were now on their way to Naboo. He would give the pair time to get close. The similarities in their backgrounds assured him that a strong friendship would form between them and perhaps even more. By the time Anakin and his little companion reached Naboo, they would be inseparable.

As he sat behind his large desk, Palpatine mused on the next part of his plan; a little scheme to ensure and tighten the bond he was sure would form between his two little pawns. The time had come to contact Duke Jaffa on Uriash; the man owed him a favor and Palpatine intended to collect it.

Very soon, the image of Duke Jaffa appeared on the screen before him. "Chancellor Palpatine, I am a busy man so tell me quickly what my…granddaughter has done now." Jaffa ground his teeth together when he spoke about Dormé and was sneering the entire time.

The smirk on the chancellors' face faded, "Duke Jaffa, your lack of respect for your betters will be your undoing one day. However, for now I believe it is time you fulfill your part of our agreement." Palpatine stated calmly before his twisted grin reappeared.

Anakin and Dormé headed back to their room on board the freighter. As they came to the door of the room, Anakin was telling her about one of his missions with Obi wan. "We were investigating the planet Vanqor and Obi wan fell right into this nest of Gundarks."

Dormé gasped in shock. Gundarks were fearsome creatures. There were stories about them existing on numerous planets, even Naboo. Vicious, strong, and aggressive she wondered how the Jedi Master had escaped. "What in the _urugal_ made him get that close to a gundark nest in the first place? What did you do?"

He let her step inside their room first before continuing his tale. Anakin didn't know what urugal meant, but he was sure that it wasn't anything good. "He never really explained that to me." He laughed as they sat down on their beds. "I didn't have much of a choice after all I couldn't just let those things maul another Jedi to death, so I jumped in with my lightsaber and rescued him. Of course, he likes to remember it differently." Anakin explained.

Dormé shook her head before reaching up to take the heavy headpiece off. It was starting to give her a headache. "That either makes you very brave or makes you an _isthab_."

Another of her strange words, "And just what does ishpab mean?" He asked amusement in his voice as he unwittingly butchered her native language.

Placing the headpiece onto the bed next to her, Dormé couldn't help but laugh. Next, she slipped her shoes off. "Not ishpab…_isthab. _It's Uriashian, my native tongue. It means fool. I have never heard of an ishpab before." She pretended to be thinking about it, one finger tapping her chin.

Anakin blushed, realizing he had mispronounced the word. "Alright, alright that's enough of this picking on the Jedi protector. Have I not suffered enough already?" He fell back against the pillow trying to be overdramatic, but the smirk at the corners of his mouth assured her that he was playing around.

"Oh, yes, yes…you poor, poor dear." Dormé put a hand to her heart jokingly. She stood up and walked slowly towards his bed. "I shall taunt you no more."

"Well I thank you for that. I don't think I could take much more embarrassment today." He put his hands behind his head as he leaned against the pillow. His eyes drifted closed shortly after.

Dormé smiled, taking a few moments to watch him before deciding she wanted to get into something that was a bit more comfortable. "Um, I am just going to go change, if that is alright."

Anakin opened his eyes and nodded. He saw her walk away slowly towards the fresher before closing his eyes again. Dormé was a lot of fun, and she had a marvelous sense a humor that matched his own. Obi wan rarely joked around on a mission. Traveling with her was going to be a unique experience. He yawned, one hand covering his mouth. _Echuta_ he was tired. Lately he hadn't been able to sleep very well at all. The nightmares plaguing him were horrendous. Anakin couldn't help but feel they were trying to tell him something.

While Anakin rested, Dormé attempted to remove her cumbersome dress. When she had finally managed to get the heavy fabric off, she picked it up off the floor and folded it as best she could. Looking through one of the suitcases, she chose one of her own nightgowns that she had brought with her and then pulled on her bathrobe.

His mother was crying out for him, but every time he reached out to her, she drifted farther and farther away. Anakin tossed and turned on the bed, caught in the disturbing dream. "No…mom…no" He moaned softly.

Dormé was stepping out of the fresher when she thought she heard Anakin speaking to someone. Curious as to whom he could be talking to, she hurried back towards their beds. The sight that met her was startling and her heart broke when she heard him call out to his mother. He was sweating profusely, his face scrunched up as if what he was seeing in his dreams was physically painful. She sat on the edge of his bunk and placed a hand on his chest, "Anakin…Anakin…"

The last thing Anakin heard was his mother screaming before he jolted awake. His breathing was fast and his heart was racing. He sat up quickly, in the process knocking Dormé off the bunk onto the floor.

Anakin put his head in his hands. With eyes closed, he sought to regain control over his emotions. The images flashed through his mind then began to fade. Only after his breathing had begun to calm, did he even realize that Dormé was looking up at him from the floor. "Dormé…what…what happened? What are you doing down on the floor?"

"You…you were calling out for your mother. I tried to wake you up and when you did…I…I slipped off the bed." She picked herself up and sat down next to him again. Dormé spoke quietly. She had no idea how to comfort him but she didn't have to be a genius to know that the dream had seriously shaken him.

Anakin carefully swung his legs over the side of the bunk "I'm sorry. I should have warned you. I…I don't sleep much lately."

Dormé shook her head lightly, her hand continuing to rub his back. She was no stranger to bad dreams. They had plagued her childhood. "You don't have to apologize to me. Is there anything I can do?"

"No…no there's not much anyone can do to stop themselves from dreaming." Anakin replied softly. He truly appreciated Dormés' offer, but there was nothing she could do about his dreams. Besides, Obi wan had said they would pass in time.

With a serious expression, Dormé let her hand rest on the bed in between them. She didn't even realize that she had placed it on top of his. "Do you…do you want to talk about it? Sometimes getting your thoughts out helps."

Anakin turned his hand over, gripping her hand lightly. Unconsciously his thumb was now stroking her fingers and without hesitation, he began revealing the images he could recall. "The dreams, they are about my mother, obviously. She's calling to me…almost begging me, but every time I get close to her, she fades away. I don't know what it means. Obi wan says that the dreams will go away, but I'm not so sure."

Dormé listened as he explained his frightening dreams. She wished she could offer him some advice or tell him what his dreams meant, but Dormé was at a loss. She gave what comfort she could though. "Perhaps they just symbolize how much you miss her. Maybe, once this is all over, Master Kenobi will let you visit her. That might put an end to them." Peering down she noticed that his fingers were gently caressing hers. When she glanced back up, Dormé realized just how close they were to each other.

Unaware of how his actions were affecting his pretty companion, Anakin drew closer. "Maybe" he paused taking a deep breath before looking into her eyes. "I want to thank you Dormé."

His touch was utterly distracting and she felt as if his eyes were peering deep into her mind, but she managed to speak. "Thank me, for what?

Anakin shrugged his hand still cradling hers. "For your concern, I mean you hardly know me. I've burned you with soup and knocked you onto the floor, but you still manage to be kind to me. I…I don't like to admit that these dreams disturb me. A Jedi is supposed to be above such things as nightmares."

"That seems rather silly to me. Are the Jedi not mortal beings like the rest of us? I am sure you are not the only Jedi to have nightmares. Everyone experiences them at some point in their lives. As for our rather ungraceful displays, well they've been unintentional. " Dormé inhaled slowly. He was so close to her that she swore if she moved her head, his lips would brush hers.

Anakin spoke softly, "Jedi are mortal, but our training is supposed to teach us to avoid dwelling on such things. We are taught to focus on the here and now."

Dormé nodded her voice barely above a whisper. "I suppose that can be a good thing. Sometimes dwelling on the past only leads to recalling things you…well unpleasant things."

She gave no explanation leaving Anakin to wonder what horrible things had happened to her in the past. It wasn't hard for him to sense her tumultuous emotions when it came to talking about herself but he didn't feel right prying. His eyes glanced downwards to where their hands joined and he blushed. As he cleared his throat, he let go of her hand. "I…um…I think maybe I'll meditate for awhile."

Dormé swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. His withdrawal hurt and she had no idea why. She knew that Anakin was completely infatuated with Padmé. A weak smile formed on her face, "Of course…I have some reading to do. Milady is very specific about what she wishes me to say to the Queen. I need to be sure I memorize it all properly."

"Right, so…um. I'll go into the other room so I don't disturb you." Anakin announced politely before quickly making his way out of the bedroom.

When he left, Dormé slapped her forehead muttering how stupid she had behaved. Sighing she picked up the data pad that was lying on her own bunk.

Theed was as beautiful as Anakin remembered. He and Dormé had arrived only an hour ago and were now heading towards the palace. After returning from his meditations, he had found Dormé asleep with her data pad still clutched in hand. He had sat upon his own bunk and since he couldn't get to sleep right away, watched her for a time.

At some point during his vigil of her, he came to a few realizations. The first was that since he and Dormé had boarded the freighter to Naboo, he had thought about Padmé very little. This fact disturbed him, especially when he was so certain that he was in love with her. However, as he sat and spoke with Dormé in their shared room, something inside him had shifted. The feelings Dormé conjured in him were baffling so he had sought to work them out through meditating. For all his efforts, Anakin had been unable to quiet his mind enough to make any success.

Dormé was nothing like Padmé, his angel. She shared only a few physical attributes with Padmé and with her freckles revealed, no one who knew the senator would mistake the two of them. She was also more inquisitive and less formal then the woman she served. Even as he had fallen asleep, his mind pondered why images of Dormé suddenly replaced visions of his angel.

Now as they walked up the steps of the palace, Anakin kept sneaking glances over at her. She appeared to be in full decoy mode. Heavy makeup covered her freckles and the all-business expression she wore had him doing a double take.

She could feel his eyes on her and tried to ignore it. Dormé knew she had to stay focused if she was going to get through this meeting. Queen Jamilla would be the only one to know that she was not Padmé, so her performance had to be perfect.

Anakin broke into her thoughts as he leaned closer to her. "Did the senator tell you where we would be staying after the meeting with the Queen?"

Dormé only then realized that she not informed him of Padmés instructions. Shaking off the tremor that went through her at his proximity, she spoke softly back, "Yes, she instructed me that we should stay in the Lake Country."

The idea of going anywhere that had lake in the title was unnerving, but before he could inquire further, they had reached the massive doors of the palace and a guard escorted them inside.

"We must keep our faith in the Republic." Queen Jamilla stated before rising. Dormé and Governor Bibble followed suit. "The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it."

"Let's pray that day never comes." Dormé concurred walking in step with the Queen.

"In the meantime, we must consider your own safety."

Governor Bibble addressed Anakin, "What is your suggestion Master Jedi?"

Anakin cleared his throat, happy that he was finally able to add his own input. He had remained relatively silent throughout the entire meeting, making only a few comments about the Jedi's position. "I was instructed that we would be staying in the Lake Country. I'm not quite certain I favor the idea. However, it is our best option in protecting the Senator."

Dormé looked over at him, trying to maintain her composure. She had to agree that, though the Lake Country was reportedly very beautiful, she would rather be somewhere more…lively. "There are places in the Lake Country that are very isolated, Jedi Skywalker. Once you see it, I am sure you'll agree that it is the perfect place to hide."

Anakin gave her a polite nod of his head and the tiniest of grins, "Of course, milady."

Queen Jamilla looked pleased with the suggestion. "Perfect, it's settled then."

After freshening up, Anakin waited patiently for Dormé. They would be leaving for the Lake Country once she had finished speaking privately with the Queen. He stood with his arms behind his back, looking out one of the large glass windows. He recalled doing the same thing after the battle to free Naboo ten years ago. Closing his eyes, images of Padmé during the victory parade flew across his mind. The opening of a door disturbed his private thoughts and he turned to see Dormé and the Queen saying their goodbyes.

Dormé had changed her attire as well. She was now wearing a lovely, gown, of light yellow, pink, and purple. As she moved down the hallway towards him, the material flowed around her so lightly she appeared to be floating. Half of her brown locks were curly and hung around her shoulders, while the rest of her hair was up in an elaborate twist. He barely noticed the two bags she carried along with her.

Anakin watched her glide towards him, wide-eyed. He began to walk towards her and somehow managed to trip over his own feet in the process. Luckily, this time he did not fall down. He straightened himself up, cleared his throat, and then spoke. "Are you ready to depart, milady?"

Dormé hid her amusement. She had wondered why Padmé had asked that she pack this gown. After all, it really was for occasions that were more formal then a trip to the Lake Country, but Padmé had insisted that Dormé might need it. Now, Dormé was secretly thankful to her mistress. "Yes, Jedi Skywalker."

"Good, we should be able to reach the Lake Country before nightfall. Let me take those for you." Anakin reached over taking the bags from her hands. He avoided making eye contact with Dormé.

"Thank you." Dormé said. He began walking away and she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her lips. Holding up the hem of her dress, Dormé was soon walking in step with him as they left the palace.

Queen Jamilla had offered the pair a speeder to aid them in their travels to the Lake Country. Unfortunately, the house in the Lake Country was reachable only by water, so the speeder would take them to the boat.

In his head, Anakin reiterated just how much he hated large bodies of water.

It was as they approached the speeder, that he felt a shift the obvious shift in the force. Quickly, he dropped their bags and pulled a very startled Dormé to the ground. A blaster shot flew through the air where Dormé had been standing.

Dormé landed hard on the ground. Her ribs and arms were certainly going to feel that later. Anakin had practically landed on top of her back and when she tried to lift herself up his weight refused to budge. "What the haramu is wrong with you?"

Before he could answer her, more blaster shots were being fired at them and Anakin saw several men dressed in red rushing towards them. "If you hadn't noticed, we have company." He motioned to the menacing soldiers who were getting closer.

Dormé gazed as best she could to where he was motioning. She paled at the sight before her. "Samukka" she whispered.

Anakin heard her whisper but could not make out what exactly she had said. Swiftly, he lifted Dormé up and raced with her for cover. "Are you alright?" He asked with concern, only now thinking about how roughly he had dragged her to the ground.

She nodded unable to speak right then. The blaster fire was growing in intensity. Dormé watched as Anakin's own weapon appeared in his hand. "What are you going to do? You can't fight all of them alone." She questioned him, quite upset by the whole affair. Why were the Samukka here, in Theed?

His lightsaber ignited, Anakin kept one eye on their attackers and the other on Dormé. "I call it aggressive negotiations. These men aren't exactly leaving anytime soon. If I don't fight them off it will make getting to the Lake Country undetected a bit difficult."

Dormé couldn't argue with him on that point. She had no idea why the Samukka would be attacking, but she knew their methods well. They would not stop until their mission was complete. Still, there were so many of them. "I suppose a more diplomatic solution is not likely to present itself. Your going to get yourself killed you know."

Anakin smirked, "Have a little faith in your Jedi Protector, milady." Dormé spied a hint of danger in those eyes as his gaze lingered upon her for a moment. "Stay here and you'll be safe." With that, he dashed from their hiding place.

She watched as he confronted the first of the Samukka guards. The man held out his blaster demanding something from Anakin that she could not quite make out. A serious blunder; Anakin sliced right through the blaster before kicking the man to the ground.

As Anakin twirled his blade around, the remaining Samukka quickly surrounded him. They drew their own swords, but were barely able to strike a blow on the Jedi. Unfortunately, each time Anakin disposed of one guard, another immediately took his place.

As Anakin fought for their lives, Dormé was not idle. She was planning very carefully when to make a move for their bags. Unbeknownst to Anakin, she had packed her own weapon of choice, a wakizashi blade. The fight was moving away from where they had dropped their things, so Dormé rushed out of her hiding spot. Keeping one eye on the fight, she began frantically searching through her suitcase.

He was beginning to think Dormé was right. There were more of these soldiers then he had originally thought. Anakin didn't want to admit it, but he was tiring quicker then usual. Perhaps it was due to his lack of sleep lately. Whatever the cause, he wasn't going to be able to hold up much longer. His thoughts were confirmed when the blade of one of the Samukka sliced his arm.

Anakin stumbled backward growling in anger. "That…was…a…mistake." The guard laughed cruelly at the injured Jedi. Just as Anakin was about to attack, the man screamed in pain, a blade protruding from his chest.

Dormé drew the sword out of the guard swiftly and the samukka's body hit the ground with a sickening thud.

She looked up at Anakin who was at once both astonished and strangely impressed. The moment lasted only seconds before they both were engaged in fierce combat with the Samukka. Every so often Anakin glimpsed Dormé's graceful movements. To say she was skilled was an understatement. Even with her long dress billowing about her, she managed to dispatch each adversary that attacked.

Though her life and Anakin's was in peril, Dormé could not help but love the feel of the wakazashi blade in her hand; how the light reflected off the blade as it arced through the air before slicing through her opponent. Each move was like a step in a dance. Dormé's movements grew in intensity as she felled each Samukka. Never had she felt as powerful as she did during that battle.

Of course, she had no idea that the battle was about to end for her. One of the Samukka had found the perfect spot to fire his blaster undetected and unhindered. Their mission would be completed. Taking careful aim, he fired at the petite beauty.

Everything slowed to a crawl for Anakin. His eyes caught sight of the blaster fire, but he was too far away from Dormé to stop it. Still he shouted, "Dormé no!" as he raced towards her, taking out any Samukka that crossed his path. He was not going to reach her in time. The blast hit Dormé in her left shoulder, knocking the blade out of her hand. She cried out in pain, grabbing her arm as she fell to the ground.

The Samukka who had been standing near her immediately set upon her, his sword pointed at the young woman lying in pain before him. Dormé looked at him with angry tears forming in her eyes. "Urugalshe baraed, ke saabarra" she spit out venomously.

"Sig kinattu!" He shouted back at her as he raised his sword.

Dormé closed her eyes, raised her chin high, and prepared herself for the final blow.

Tbc

Yikes, dangerous situation and its only going to get crazier. Anyway, here is a little sneak peek.

_She stood facing him in the darkened hallway. Something was happening to her, to both of them. Dormé smiled as he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She wondered if he too was feeling as off balance by their close proximity as she was. Her question was soon answered. _

"_I feel like if I let go of you, you're going to run away." Anakin whispered, his arms holding her close. The spark that had been set by their first, short kiss a day ago lingered on his mind. The softness in her voice as she spoke caused that spark to blaze. _

"_Well then don't let go." _

I hope that that will hold you all over for a bit. I have a major final project due next week so I probably will not be able to write much for the next chapter. Keep your eyes peeled for more icons and manips though. 


	5. Flirting Friends

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat

Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Flirting Friends  
Rating: PG/PG13/R (Future Chapters)  
Authors Note: Here is the latest installment of my Dormékin tale. The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, Padmé Amidala, Teckla, and Nandi do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to Cariel and I thank her for letting me dabble in this wonderful fandom.

Please remember to read and review! Enjoy!

_The Samukaa who had been standing near her immediately set upon her, his sword pointed at the young woman lying in pain before him. Dormé looked at him with angry tears forming in her eyes. "__Urugalshe baraed, ke saabarra" she spit out venomously. _

"_Sig kinattu!" He shouted back at her as he raised his sword._

_Dormé closed her eyes, raised her chin high, and prepared herself for the final blow. _

Dormé sat defiantly with her eyes closed, but the blow from the Samukaa never came.

Upon opening her eyes, she understood why. Lying on the ground in front of her was the one who had been threatening her. There was a large, charred hole through his chest and his head was clearing missing.

In a desperate attempt to get away from the corpse, Dormé forgot about her injured arm and cried out at the pain that tore through her arm. Pulling her hand away from the wound, she bit back the bile rising in her throat. Her upper arm looked charred. The skin blackened; some of it clearly burnt right off and only a small portion of healthy, pink skin was visible underneath.

Dormé closed her eyes once more, trying to regain her equilibrium. It was a useless gesture and she quickly sought out Anakin. He wasn't difficult to spot of course with his lightsaber flashing through the air. She watched as he viciously struck down one Samukaa after another.

Anakin had launched into attack as soon as he reached Dormé. Landing in front of the startled Samukka, a dark grin passed over the young Jedi's face. He could feel the fear dripping off the soldier. Without further hesitation, Anakin thrust his lightsaber through the man's torso before relieving the Samukka of his head. Spinning around and rapidly losing himself to the dark side, the Jedi set off to dispatch the rest of the slime that had attacked them.

Dormé watched as long as she could before the pain and exhaustion of the battle made her vision blurry. Putting her head down she tried her best to see to her own wound.

The battle ended almost as quickly as it had begun and the haze of the dark side that surrounded him began to dissipate. Breathing heavily from his exertions, Anakin turned off his lightsaber. While the haze was gone, a more oppressing disorientation now gripped him. Anakin was so overcome that he could feel his hands shaking as he looked upon all those he had killed. The first inklings of nausea were unpleasant, but he forced himself to brush it off for the time being. Turning around he rushed back over to Dormé. "Dormé…"

She tried to focus on his face as she replied. "I…I'm alright. It's not bad, really. We have to get out of here though." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her concerns where genuine. How would they explain the mess around them?

Anakin could feel her shaking and saw that she had ripped part of the dress she was wearing and tied it around her injured arm. The wrap covered only a small portion of the wound, but from what he could see, the blaster had done its job well. However, unless they could come up with a very good excuse for the massacre of these men, they were going to have to move fast. "Come on. I'm going to get you out of here." He lifted her up into his arms and the pair made for their boat at top speed.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the Lakehouse. Getting there was uncomfortable, not only for Dormé, who was in pain, but for him as well. Though growing up on Tatooine should have made him happy to see water, previous experiences gave him a strong aversion to large bodies of water not to mention rain. During the entire boat ride, Anakin forced himself to focus on tending to Dormé to keep his mind off his own fears.

She remained conscious throughout the whole ordeal. For that, he was grateful because they never would have found their boat had she passed out. By the time they reached their destination, Dormé was losing the battle to stay awake. Anakin was worried that she might be going into shock. The boat came to a stop and with the help of several servants, Anakin managed to get her inside.

He barely heard the servant girls calling for a doctor for 'the senator' as he gently laid Dormé down onto a couch. Anakin untied the makeshift bandage around her arm. When he saw the entire wound, he was amazed that she hadn't already passed out. Yet, she lay there looking up at him, her eyes a bit glazed. "You're going to be okay, I promise you."

Amazed at her own strength, Dormé smiled weakly up at him. "I know…I'm sure…my Jedi protector…will allow…nothing less."

Something in her voice concerned him. Anakin thought it best she remained conscious at least until the doctor arrived. "What kind of Jedi protector would I be if did?" His attention was drawn back to her injury.

She watched the expression on Anakin's face as he inspected her arm. By now, Dormé realized that she could barely feel her arm. Perhaps the blaster had done more damage then she thought. Anakin's inward grimace only confirmed her suspicion. "Well, I suppose…I could learn to sword fight with my other hand" she spoke jokingly. At his puzzlement, she elaborated. "My arm is numb."

Anakin squeezed her hand, "Once the doctor arrives, he'll have you patched up and swinging that sword in no time. Just relax." He only hoped his words would ring true.

The wait for the doctor took too long in Anakin's opinion. When the doctor did arrive and had set about healing Dormé, Anakin finally gave in to his own exhaustion collapsing into a nearby chair.

He didn't know how long he had slept when the doctor roused him. Anakin rubbed his eyes, spreading his focus to Dormé's still form and on the man in front of him.

"She is resting now son." The doctor addressed the younger man. "She will probably be unconscious for a few hours."

Anakin nodded his head before asking, "Will she be alright? She spoke of not having much feeling in her arm."

The doctor noted the obvious concern in Anakin's voice. "The blaster did cause more damage then normal. That might have to do with the distance she was from whoever fired at her. I was able to clean up the damaged flesh and treated the injury with some bacta. Infection is my main concern, but I have wrapped up her arm. I am hopeful that the bacta salve will stave off that particular complication."

"Can't you have the equipment brought here somehow?" As always, Anakin's voice rose with his growing frustration. Though he was grateful to the doctor, he was more irritated that Dormé had not received all the necessary care she needed.

"It would take days to make the preparations. There is always the possibility of bringing her Theed, but I would rather not move her until she is conscious. For right now, there is no need to put her through such an ordeal. We must let the bacta do its job." The doctor calmly suggested.

As he looked over at Dormé, Anakin frowned. "Isn't there anything else you can do?"

The doctor shook his head. "I will leave some instructions for cleaning the injury and some pain medication, until she is well enough to travel to Theed for the skin grafts. If you follow those instructions she will avoid infection and losing her arm entirely." He patted Anakin's shoulder before turning to fetch his things.

Anakin watched the doctor place a data pad with instructions and a Narco-mist spray for pain, on one of the small tables, before departing. As he kept his silent vigil over Dormé, Anakin never saw the sly grin the doctor gave them as he left.

Upon returning to his office, the doctor sent a quick dispatch to Coruscant.

Palpatine was listening to one of his favorite operas when a message from Naboo reached him. His disgruntlement at being disturbed turned to delight. The Samukaa had done their job well. Unfortunately, for them, Skywalker had reacted in just the manner Palpatine had predicted. Duke Jaffa would no doubt attempt to contact him about the loss of his favorite troops. As he read the report, his displeasure with Duke Jaffa grew. The man had gone against his wishes; he had ordered Jaffa to have the Samukaa capture the girl, not to try to kill her.

Though the handmaiden's injury was unexpected, it was not entirely an unfortunate happenstance. Her injury had obviously provoked a very strong reaction from Skywalker. Another attack would no doubt provoke him even closer to the dark side. For now though, Palpatine would allow them both to heal and get closer. He contacted the doctor and told him that he was to spare no expense to heal the girl. She was not to die…yet.

Anakin had fallen asleep while he kept his vigil over Dormé. His nightmares did not let him sleep for long. The images of his mother calling out to him, shifted to Dormé. He saw her screaming as she fell slowly to the ground during the battle. Unlike the battle they had fought, he was not in time to save her and he watched helplessly as the Samukka killed her.

His eyes shot open as her screams faded. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked down at Dormé. She was looking up at him, her eyes filled with concern. "Anakin…" She was still groggy from the medicine the doctor had given her.

"Dormé, you're awake. How are you feeling?" He whispered back, sitting forward in his chair, and brushing a strand of hair out her eyes.

"Like I just went a few rounds with a gundark" Dormé smirked "I can feel my arm again at least…boy does it hurt."

Anakin grinned back but it faded when she mentioned her pain. "The doctor left some pain medicine…" He was about to get up and retrieve it, but her hand on his sleeve stopped him.

Dormé shook her head, motioning for him to sit back down, "No…it's not that bad. Pain is good." She shifted position so she could sit up more, wincing as she moved. Once she was situated, she looked back at him. "What did the doctor say?"

"He was concerned with the numbness in your arm, but it appears that particular symptom has vanished." Anakin grinned before continuing. "The blaster did a lot of burn damage because your assailant was so close. You will need skin grafts to cover the damage, but he can only perform that in Theed."

"I see." Dormé looked down at her bandaged arm. She had glimpsed the skin underneath after she was hit. The burns would leave a terrible scar of that much she was sure. "When does he think he can perform the skin grafts?" She was anxious to get them done as soon as possible.

"The doctor didn't want to move you again while you were unconscious. As soon as your feeling up to moving around, we can head back to Theed, I suppose." Anakin was still rather displeased that the doctor was so quick to put off her complete healing, but he had agreed that the journey back would have been entirely too uncomfortable for her.

Desperate to get the skin grafts she needed, Dormé slowly swung her legs over the side of the couch. Pain rushed through her arm, but she brushed it off. "There's no sense in wasting anymore time, then."

Anakin was quick to stop her as she wobbled slightly as she got to her feet. Though he was impressed by her strength and determination, he was well aware that she was still not ready to make the trip back to Theed. "Whoa there Dormé, there will be plenty of time for that. You need rest. Besides, we've both been asleep for several hours. The sun is setting already."

Dormé looked towards one of the windows in the room. Sure enough, the sky held the pinkish hue of sunset. She sighed and let Anakin guide her back down onto the couch. She tried not to show her disappointment as she spoke. "I suppose it will have to wait till tomorrow then."

"Don't worry Dormé. It will be the first thing on our list of things to do." Anakin grinned trying to cheer her up. There was a quiet moment between them before both their stomachs began to protest, grumbling rather loudly. "I think we best see if "the senators" servants can fix us some food."

"That's probably a good idea." Dormé giggled lightly, blushing at the sounds her stomach was making.

Even when she blushed, Anakin couldn't help but think that Dormé was lovely. It brought color back into her face, which was a far better sight then the paleness he had seen hours earlier. "Just rest, I will return." He gave her one more look before crossing the room towards the door.

Dormé watched him go with a smile, but her smile faded once he was out of sight. Eventually he would want to know who it was that had attacked them. She knew who they were…the only question she asked herself was why.

When Anakin returned, he informed her that the cook was already preparing some food. Shortly after he returned, another servant came in to show Anakin where he would be sleeping for his stay there. Padmé had already briefed Dormé about what room was hers, and so she easily slipped into the role of Padmé. She told the servant that she would do the honors. Anakin protested at first, but Dormé was nothing if not persistent. "My room is probably not far from yours and I would like to freshen up a bit anyway."

Anakin hadn't really noticed that her dress, so beautiful that morning was now in shambles. His only concern had been to get her to safety. "Of course, as you wish…milady."

They walked in companionable silence. He walked slowly not wanting to push her. When they reached his room, Dormé finally spoke. "I was right." She leaned in to whisper, pointing down the hallway, "According to milady, my rooms are right there at the end of the hallway".

He insisted on walking her to her door. Once she was safe inside, Anakin went back to his own room to change.

Dinner was very delicious and before they knew it, the servants Teckla and Nandi were placing dessert in front of Dormé and Anakin. Dormé grabbed her fork and went to spear a piece of fruit when the piece moved. Frowning and thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, she tried again only to watch as the piece moved once more. She looked up at Anakin whose eyes were focused on his plate. "Did you…did you see that?"

Anakin pasted a look of confusion on his face as he looked over at his companion. "See what?" He looked back at his plate and grinned.

Dormé turned her attention back to her own plate. She must be going crazy, either that or the pain medicine was making her see things. She stabbed at the piece of fruit again, this time it floated into the air. Dormé gasped in surprise, dropping her fork onto the table. "Anakin…look."

Planning it just right, the piece of fruit he was levitating floated back down to the plate just as he looked over at Dormé. "What is it, what's wrong?" It was getting harder and harder to hide his grin when he spoke.

"Um…nothing…I guess." Dormé carefully picked up her fork. As she brought the fork down toward the fruit slice, it floated back up into the air. When she looked over at Anakin this time, she saw him moving his hand and laughing, now unable to hold it back. Realizing he had been making it move all along, she shook her head in amazement. "You…you did that…how?"

Anakin floated the fruit piece over to his own plate. "Its one of the things you learn when you're a Jedi. I'm not sure how it really works though. Actually, if Obi wan were here and saw me do that, he'd be very grumpy." He cut the fruit piece into two smaller pieces then watched happily, as Dormé stabbed one in the air with her fork and ate it.

Dormé chewed on her piece of fruit, finishing it before replying. "It's amazing. You had me thinking I was seeing things."

They laughed at his little joke and finished eating their desert before retiring to the sitting room.

A fire crackled in the fireplace as they sat down. Anakin sat right next to her on the couch. It made her feel even more self-conscious then she already was. Dormé didn't mind the dress she was wearing. In fact, she wished it were hers and not the senators. She just did not want rumors to fly; rumors that may tarnish Padmés reputation. However, with her arm bandaged, pulling up the sleeve of any of the other dresses she had brought with her was just too painful. Brushing her own concerns aside, Dormés' eyes strayed over to the fire.

The firelight bathed her face in a warm glow. Anakin couldn't help but look at her. "May I tell you something Dormé?"

"I don't know, I suppose it depends on what it is?" Dormé replied jokingly. She was certain he was going to ask about her grandfathers soldiers.

Anakin smirked. "I just wanted to ask you … when we were battling those men earlier…um… I mean...well...your swordsmanship was incredible. You moved so fluidly through your opponents."

Caught off guard by his compliment, Dormé could almost feel the blush rise to her cheeks. "Thank you. I had a good teacher."

"Your teacher had an excellent student." Anakin contradicted. Again, they both drifted into silence again.

Each time he looked at her, Dormé quickly looked back down at her hands. Soon the silence began to grate on her nerves. She wished he would ask about the Samukka already. Deciding that she should approach the issue, Dormé spoke up. "Anakin…I think we need to discuss the attack."

Anakin lowered his eyes. "I should have sensed those men sooner. If I had, we could have gotten out of there instead of having to confront them. You wouldn't have been injured and…" he rambled on until Dormé placed a finger over his lips.

"Anakin…stop. My injury wasn't your fault." Dormé pulled her finger away from his lips and sighed. "These things happen, the Samukaa are well known for their fighting ability."

"Samukaa…?" He recalled her saying that right after the first blast. "You know who those men were?"

Dormé nodded. "They are called Samukaa. They're bodyguards and the law enforcers in Uriash."

"Where you're from?" Anakin injected, recalling that Uriash was her home before becoming a handmaiden.

"Yes…they…they are under the direct order of Duke Jaffa…my grandfather." She let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "The Samukaa are trained in the martial arts at an early age, conditioned to be loyal only to the Duke. Most of the people of Naboo know them well and they are second only to the royal guard."

Anakin bit his lip as he listened. One thing puzzled him, "Why would your grandfather send these men to kill Padmé?"

Dormé swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't think", she paused "I don't know if it's even possible, but I don't think he sent them to kill Senator Amidala".

Quick to catch on to her meaning, Anakin still had his doubts. "He was after you. How would he have known that you were you? I mean…that you weren't Padmé?" It seemed highly implausible that one of the servants had figured out the ruse. Even injured, Dormé had maintained the same mannerisms as Padmé.

"That is something I can not answer. Perhaps I failed to convince someone. If so, then I have jeopardized everything." Dormé stood up quickly, starting to pace. "How I ever thought I could do this is beyond me. Milady had so much confidence in me, but I've failed her." As she walked, the black headpiece slipped forward on her hair. Dormé yanked it off, tossing it onto the floor, before slumping back down onto the couch. She placed her head in her hands as the tears gathered in her eyes.

"I didn't sense any deception among the servants. They all believe you to be Padmé." Anakin moved a bit closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You haven't failed anyone Dormé. In fact, I think Padmé would be proud of how you have handled the situation." He lifted her head up. "Dormé, listen to me. We will figure this out, I promise you." Two small tears trickled down her cheeks and he wiped them away.

She sniffled once as she looked into his eyes. Just like on the freighter, Anakin's' face was so close to her. Dormé could feel her heart pounding and swore that he could probably hear it as well.

He didn't understand why, but he hated to see Dormé sad. Somewhere along the way, she had wedged herself into his heart.

Neither Anakin nor Dormé knew how it happened or why, but slowly their lips touched in a soft, gentle kiss. It lingered on and on, Anakin holding her face in his hands; Dormé let one hand drift to his padawan braid. She twirled it between her fingers as she kissed him. Anakin's hands drifted to her waist, pulling her closer.

Dormé continued to twirl his braid between the fingers on one hand, while the other hand snaked around his neck, tangling in his dirty blonde locks. Something about his lips on hers just felt so right.

Just as the moment threatened to spin out of control, Anakin pulled away. His hands dropped away and he quickly stood up from the couch. "That…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that."

Dormé opened her eyes as the kiss ended. She was hurt when he so abruptly pulled away. His apology added to this feeling. She wasn't sorry about kissing him and was confused at why he was. "Did I…did I do something wrong?"

Anakin turned away to get his emotions in check, then he turned back to Dormé. "No…we um…we should just get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day." Inside his mind was screaming at him to get out of there and fast.

Upset that her actions may have cost her the friendship formed with Anakin, and unwilling to risk further damage, Dormé quietly replied, "Yes…you're probably right." She stood up and went to pick up the headpiece she had tossed on the floor. Her arm was starting ache again as well as her heart.

Anakin walked with Dormé back to her room. They spoke no words to one another and it was painfully clear that something had changed between them, though neither was certain just what that was.

Once they reached the door to her room, he bid Dormé a simple goodnight then hastily retreated to his room. Bewilderment had set in; he wondered what had provoked him to kiss Padmés decoy?

It would be a long time before the young Jedi came to realize that his once passionate feelings for the Senator of Naboo had faded to a mere childhood crush.

That it was Dormé, who now truly held that place in his heart.

Tbc

**Sneak Peak**

_Dormé approached Anakin slowly as he stood silently on the balcony. As she drew closer, she realized that his eyes were closed and that he appeared to be meditating._

_Thinking it was best not to disturb him, Dormé turned around to go back inside. _

"_Please don't go" Anakin spoke softly, not moving at all. _


	6. Picnic in the Meadow

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Picnic in the Meadow  
Rating: PG/PG13/R (Future Chapters)  
Authors Note: Here is the latest installment of my Dormékin tale. The characters of Dormé Jaffa, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, do not belong to me and I am using them without permission of Lucas Films ltd. The Dormékin ship belongs to Cariel and I thank her for letting me dabble in this wonderful fandom.

Please remember to read and review! Enjoy!

* * *

Dormé smiled at him over her shoulder, giving him a come-hither stare. Anakin smiled back as he raced towards her. She laughed, springing up from where she sat before running away.

Teasingly he called out to her, "I'm going to catch you eventually Dormé!"

She looked back him as she ran across the sand towards the water, "Then come and catch me!" Dormé yelled back, peddling backwards then turning back around.

Anakin laughed, his feet kicking up sand in his pursuit. Just as Dormé reached the water, everything around them shifted. Now they were running through the streets of Theed. The smile had faded from Dormé's face and when she looked back at him, he could see her terror-stricken face. Every time he was in arms length, another person would block his path. He pushed through each one, panic rising within him "Dormé, wait!"

She kept running, almost tripping once or twice in her haste. When she turned to look at him again, her eyes grew wide and she screamed, "ANAKIN".

Time seemed to slow down as he ran towards her. He was calling out her name repeatedly, but it was as if she could not hear him. His feet pounding on the hard ground hammered in his ears. Anakin was almost within arms reach when she screamed in pain and he looked in horror at the lightsaber protruding through her chest. "NO!"

The blade owner slowly removed it from her chest. Dormé slumped to her knees onto the ground. She looked up at him, whispering "Anakin", before falling to her side. Her eyes fluttered closed, the color faded from her beautiful face and Anakin felt her spirit return to the force. He sank down next to her, cradling her head in his lap. He stroked her cold cheek, softly begging her to come back, but her eyes remained closed. Anakin closed his eyes, fighting back his tears. He opened his eyes, turning an anger-filled stare at the one who had slain his dear friend.

Master Windu stood there, his purple lightsaber glowing. The purple light faded as the Jedi Master turned off his weapon. "Attachments are forbidden, Padawan Skywalker."

Anakin lowered Dormé carefully back to the ground before standing up. He glared at Master Windu before glancing over at the other figure who had stepped forward. Obi-wan looked back at his padawan with a grim expression. Anakin was fumbling for an answer. Why hadn't Obi-wan stopped this? He looked at his master in disbelief.

Obi-wan peered down at the girl then back up at Anakin, "I'm sorry Anakin."

Anakin stared at Obi-wan with a mixture of confusion and pain before the scene melted away. He woke up, breathing hard as if he had actually been running. For a few moments, disorientation grasped him; his eyes moved rapidly, peering around the room in an attempt to piece together where he was.

Once he had regained his bearings, Anakin pulled back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Grabbing the robe that had fallen off the end of the bed, he swiftly left his room. Making his way down the hallways towards Dormé's bedroom, this latest dream turned nightmare continued to puzzle the young Jedi as did his sudden need to check on her. As he approached the door to Dormé's room, Anakin chalked his concern up to responsibility and duty; after all, he was here to protect her while she played the role of Padmé.

Not once did Anakin take into account how he had kissed her. He opened the door to Dormé's room and looked inside to find his pretty companion sleeping peacefully. Dormé's even breathing assured him that she was indeed alive and safe. That should have been enough to satisfy him, but Anakin remained at her door watching her sleep, his eyes taking in every detail; from her long brown hair splayed out across the pillow, to the flash of skin on display as the black nightgown she wore rode up her leg.

This was wrong, wrong for so many reasons. Obi-wan had often berated him for his obvious attachment to Padmé, but he couldn't help what he felt. He loved Padmé. She was his angel, the woman he had vowed to marry someday all those years ago.

So why was he now so enraptured by her handmaiden?

Unable to rationalize his behavior and more confused then ever, Anakin finally turned his eyes away from Dormé, closing the door so as not to wake her. He took a few calming breaths before retreating to his room. Knowing he would be unable to get back to sleep, Anakin decided that this might be the perfect time to hone his skills. For the rest of the night, Anakin alternated between lightsaber practice and numerous attempts at meditating. By the time the sun began to rise, he stood out on the balcony outside his room making one final attempt to meditate.

On the balcony is where Dormé found him.

After waking up, she carefully slipped on her bathrobe wincing at the pain in her arm. It was her hope that she and Anakin could go back to Theed to have her burns repaired that day. Her fingers crept up to her lips as she walked down the hallway towards his room. She smiled at first remembering how his lips had felt against her, but it vanished when she thought of how he had pulled away.

For a few moments, Dormé stood silently outside his door. He had made it clear that their kiss had been a mistake. While he had laid no blame upon her, Dormé was certain that deep down she had caused some horrible shift in the budding friendship.

Dormé was no stranger to being attracted to someone of the opposite sex and Anakin was undoubtedly very handsome. Something about the way he smiled sometimes; an almost dangerous glint in his blue eyes that beckoned her to discover what was behind it.

Realizing she was acting ridiculous and entirely unprofessional, Dormé took a cleansing breath. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door only to discover the door already slightly parted. Though it seemed like an odd and perhaps dangerous thing to do, she stepped inside Anakin's room.

One of the first things she noticed upon entering was his unmade bed. She smiled before letting her eyes gaze around the room. Dormé walked further into the room, her long blue bathrobe trailing on the floor behind her. As she ventured along, she saw that the doors to the balcony were open. Without thinking, her feet carried her towards the open entryway and she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the object of her recent thoughts.

Dormé stepped out onto the balcony, approaching Anakin slowly. As she drew closer, she realized that he had his eyes closed and that he appeared to be meditating. Judging that it was probably best not to disturb him, Dormé turned around to go back inside.

"Please don't go" Anakin spoke softly, not moving at all.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to disturb you." Dormé blushed as she spoke. As if things between them weren't awkward enough, now she added a rude intrusion into his privacy to the list.

Anakin sighed, opening his eyes. His concentration had broken the moment Dormé had entered his room. He had felt her force signature even before that. Meditation always came easy to Obi-wan, but for the padawan learner this discipline eluded him. He turned around facing Dormé and swallowed hard.

She stood before him, her cheeks colored red with embarrassment, but not enough to cover the freckles that dotted her face. The long black nightgown he had glimpsed the night before left every curve of her form visible. Her brown locks blew lightly in the morning breeze, unrestrained by pins, bands, or headpieces. Anakin cleared his throat to get his mouth working once more. "No, no need to apologize. I was just finishing."

Dormé nodded her head. He had been staring at her without speaking, which only increased her embarrassment and made her somewhat self-conscious. Was the problem her outfit? Was it too inappropriate? As if sensing her discomfort, Anakin reassured her that her apology was unnecessary and she smiled. She could tell he was trying to return her smile, but there was something missing. "You must have been up early. Is everything alright?"

Obi-wan had been adamant that the dreams about his mother in pain would pass, but this new dream was just as frightening. His fingers gripped the balcony railing, nearly turning white. Only when he felt Dormé's hand on his shoulder did he loosen his hold.

"Anakin, what is it? What is wrong?" Dormé could feel the tension in his body as her hand came to rest on his shoulder.

After much debate, Anakin thought it best not to scare her by mentioning what he had seen. "Nothing, it was just another bad dream." He took her hand in his, feeling its warmth helped to block out the memory of how cold her skin had become in his dream.

"Are you sure?" His words may have said he was fine, but the sound of his voice worried Dormé. She was surprised when he took her hand, but if it comforted him then who was she to deny him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tracing the lines in her palm, Anakin shook his head. Choosing his words carefully had never been his strong suit; in this instance, it was just as hard. "It's just…when ever I fall asleep all I seem to dream of lately is…bad things happening to people I care about."

Dormé placed her other hand over his. "Like your mother." No wonder he was so distraught; it had to be torturous for him to watch his mother crying out for him in each dream yet be unable to do anything about it. She assumed that the separation from his mother for so many years had been the catalyst that began these dreams.

Anakin's blue eyes peered down into her brown orbs. Telling her the real subject of his dreams could push her away. With every fiber of his being, Anakin knew that he did not want to lose Dormé friendship. He had already risked that with his actions the previous night, which he now recalled with stunning clarity. Keeping this in mind, "Yes…my mother; before I left I promised her that I would be back to set her free. What if I go back and I'm too late?"

Once again, Dormé found herself trying to relate to his situation. Her parents had spent much of her childhood bickering back and forth, acknowledging her only when necessary. She had craved their affection but they denied even the smallest amount. By the time she was working in the factories, her fathers drinking had reached its peak. Her mother had left her husband and daughter behind with only a note to explain her departure.

She was determined that Anakin would not suffer without his mother for longer then possible. "I promise you, I will do all I can to make sure you see her again after this mission. If I have to I will speak with Master Kenobi myself and demand that he allow you to go and visit her." Dormé held her head high and proud as she spoke. Even though she was well aware that her power was limited when it came to such things, in her mind it would be well worth the shot.

The thought of this petite woman poking Obi-wan Kenobi in the chest while she made her demands clear was enough to break Anakin out of his funk. He smiled, wrapped an arm around Dormé, and pulled her into a friendly hug. "I can only imagine how Obi-wan would react to that. Do make sure I'm around and within sight when you make your stand against him." He laughed at the shocked expression on Dormé's face.

Her shock wore off quickly enough; she was just so pleased to see Anakin smiling once again. That glint had returned to his eyes, demanding her attention. "I'm sure we could arrange something. For now though, how about some breakfast?"

Anakin's stomach answered for him, grumbling loudly. He blushed before replying "Probably a good idea".

* * *

"Make sure that the medical equipment reaches its appropriate destination doctor, or there will be serious repercussions." Chancellor Palpatine ended the transmission before the doctor had a chance to reply.

It had cost him dearly to have the equipment delivered so quickly, but the outcome would be priceless. Palpatine was certain that when Skywalker realized that Palpatine himself had paid for the handmaidens care, the impetuous Jedi would be more inclined to come to him when the time was right. Anakin's attachment to the handmaiden was already growing, before long the boy would do whatever was necessary to protect her.

That included betraying the Jedi and taking his proper place at Palpatines side.

* * *

After finishing off a delicious breakfast, Anakin told Dormé that when she was ready he would accompany her back to Theed to visit the doctor. She was agreeable to the suggestion seeing as how her arm was beginning to throb even with the pain medicine. They were just about to leave when Teckla informed them that the doctors' assistant had arrived with several deliverymen.

Falling right back into her role as decoy, Dormé went to speak with their visitors, with Anakin following close behind to observe and intervene should one of these men overstep their bounds.

The doctor's assistant bowed upon seeing Dormé. "Senator Amidala, my apologies for arriving so early, I am Dr. Onuda's assistant, Sagee Leith." He pointed to the three men behind him. "These men are here to setup the equipment that I will use to repair the damage done to your arm." When he had finished explaining, he folded his hands together.

Slightly overwhelmed but still able to maintain her calm, Dormé motioned for Leith and the other men to proceed. She stepped aside to allow them access and Leith quickly went about pointing out where he wanted each piece of equipment. It was a mad flurry of activity.

Though he was grateful to the doctor for arranging all this, Anakin was curious as to how the good doctor had managed to assembly everything so quickly. When he asked Leith, the man said that Dr. Onuda had been at the office early, probably overnight, in an effort to gather all they would need and to get it shipped to the lake house as soon as possible. Leith had no idea how his boss had done it and Anakin could sense no deception coming from the older man. He chose instead to return his focus to Dormé who stood quietly off to the side, watching the managed chaos nervously.

Careful to keep up appearances, he approached, bowing his head. "Milady, are you alright?"

Dormé kept her eyes upon Leith who was having the men assemble the final piece of equipment; a collapsible, portable bacta tank. "Yes, I suppose I'm just a little nervous about all this."

Anakin followed her gaze. "Don't worry senator. I will remain here while you undergo treatment." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If I sense even the slightest danger, I promise you will remain unharmed."

Leith approached, holding a white garment. "Senator, while we make the final adjustments to the bacta tank, you may wish to put this on." He handed the bundle of white fabric to Dormé, who graciously took it, exiting the room to change.

Dormé returned, clothed in a long white medical gown. Anakin took her hand and led her over to the table she would be getting the skin grafts on. He could feel her hand trembling in his own and the waves of fear coming from her. "Have no fear Milady".

She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before lying down on the cold table. Leith began the process of hooking her up to numerous monitors.

"Alright Senator, I am going to give you something that will put you to sleep and when you wake up, your arm will be as good as new." Leith smiled kindly. As someone who had undergone a similar procedure, he was well aware of how the young woman was probably feeling. If his training taught him anything, it was that medical personnel should have a good bedside manner with their patients. "Are you ready?"

Dormé's eyes wandered over to Anakin. He leaned over, "I will be here when you wake, Milady". The young Jedi padawan gave her a reassuring smirk before stepping back.

"Alright, I'm ready. You may proceed." Dormé took another deep breath. Leith nodded, before motioning the medical droid to begin. Before long, the heaviness in Dormé's eyelids became too much; the world around her slowly grew dark.

Dormé drifted into darkness; she assumed Anakin's concerned face would be the last thing she saw until she awoke.

She was wrong.

As Dormé slipped deeper under the influence of the anesthesia, the darkness receded to reveal a picturesque beach. Waves lapped against the shore and the sun was beaming down on the sand. It was a beautiful setting and at first Dormé thought she was alone, but then she saw a small child playing in the sand, a little girl with blonde hair. Scooping up the sand to make a castle, the little girl hummed softly. Dormé smiled, remembering the tune as an Uriashian lullaby. Dormé watched in fascination as the blonde haired child carefully piled the sand up into a tower, brightly smiling upon seeing the little ones success.

"Aené…" Dormé heard a voice call out, puzzled by the familiarity of it. She saw the little girl look to her left, a grin appearing on her face at seeing the one who had called her. The child stood up, brushing the sand from her tiny knees, before running almost in slow motion toward the caller. She called back, "Ama!"

Dormé held back a gasp of surprise when she recognized the face of the person Aené was calling Ama.

It was her.

The other Dormé held her arms out and Aené rushed into her ama's embrace, giggling when her Ama lifted her into the air and twirled around with her. The other Dormé kissed Aené's cheek and the little girl giggled before returning the gesture. She cried out excitedly that her Ama had to see the pretty castle she had made.

As she watched her other self kneel down next to her daughter in the sand, Dormé pondered the idea of having a child. Would her child look like this little girl? Would she have a little girl at all or would a little boy be in her future?

What a pleasant thought, perhaps not one she had seriously considered as of late, but still, looking at how happy mother and daughter were, Dormé could not help the warm feeling that overcame her in that moment.

Suddenly a cold breeze spread across the beach. The once bright blue clouds in the sky turned grey and then black. Calm waves became violent and Dormé knew a storm was brewing. It was then she heard little Aené crying. She was gripping her Ama's arms tightly, her Ama held onto her just as tightly.

Dormé tried to call out to them to get away from the water, to get inside, but the wind had picked up and was so loud that it was practically deafening. Lighting streaking across the sky gave infrequent periods of light. Through the wind, Dormé saw a dark shadow creep across the water onto the shore. It moved slowly towards little Aené and her Ama.

Dormé heard Aené and the other Dormé scream as the dark shadow devoured them.

As the dark shadow crept forwards and finally crashed over her, Dormé swore she heard herself scream Anakin's name and then an evil laughter that would forever haunt her.

* * *

Anakin paced back and forth as Leith and the medical droid placed Dormé into the bacta tank. The skin grafting was completed successfully, with only one scary moment. Midway through the procedure, Dormé's heart rate had skyrocketed nearly sending her into cardiac arrest.

Leith had scrambled to stabilize her, while Anakin watched helplessly, unable to do anything and frightened that his friend was about to die. Thankfully, Leith was highly skilled and soon Dormé's heart rate returned to normal. Anakin had demanded to know what had caused the dangerous condition, but even Leith was not certain, stating only that it did happen sometimes when a person was under anesthesia. He assured Anakin that she was all right and then completed the skin grafting.

She looked so fragile floating in the bacta, but alive and that was the most important thing in Anakin's mind.

Leith patted him on the shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. "She did remarkably well. The skin grafts took perfectly and the bacta will finish the job."

Anakin's eyes never wavered from Dormé's form as he breathed a sigh of relief. "How long will she need to be in there?"

"She will have to remain in the tank for a few hours in order for the grafts to completely form to her arm. By this evening, we will be able to take her out of there. I will continue to monitor her vital signs to be sure she has no further spikes in her heart rate." Leith explained calmly, while he punched some information onto the data pad in his hands. When he lifted his eyes to look at Anakin he smiled. "Why don't you sit down and relax young man. She isn't going anywhere right now and you look like you could use a little rest."

Only then did Anakin realize how long he had been on his feet. He nodded his head in thanks and slumped down on nearby chair. His hands fiddled with his utility belt, a nervous habit he had developed over the years, and a habit that constantly grated on Obi-wan's nerves constantly.

Anakin lifted his eyes back to the tank that held Dormé's petite body. He was impressed with the work Leith had done on her arm and was hopeful that when she woke up Dormé would be as well. The advantage of the bacta was that she would not have to deal with any scarring, something he was certain was on Dormé's mind.

Sighing, he once more went back to fiddling with his belt. Waiting for the process to be finished was not nearly as harrowing as watching Leith work frantically to stabilize her, but nonetheless, Anakin could not help but feel impatient. He missed hearing his friends' voice and in those moments where she had been clinging to life, he had been so scared that he would never be able to speak with her. Again, confusion gripped the young Jedi. He did not understand the feelings that had surfaced inside him for the pretty handmaiden.

Brushing off his confusion for now, Anakin readied himself for the long wait as he began tinkering with his holoprojector. He was planning to have a little surprise waiting for his friend when she finally woke up.

Leith carefully looked over the readouts on the senators vitals. So far, there had not been any more complications. Excusing himself for a moment, he went to contact Dr. Onuda on his comlink. After giving Onuda the details of the procedure and the good outcome, Leith was surprised to hear the immense relief in the doctor's voice. The abrupt way in which Onuda ended the discussion, was equally odd.

He returned to his patient pondering the strange behavior of his mentor.

* * *

The day passed by, with Anakin tinkering away and watching Dormé. Leith kept busy, eyes scanning his patients' vitals and observing the changes to the grafts on her arm. Teckla had come in to check up on her mistress and to bring Anakin something to eat around midday.

By the time the sun was beginning to set, Anakin had completed his surprise and Leith informed him that Dormé's time in the bacta tank was complete. Carefully, both he and Leith removed the unconscious woman from the tank and laid her back down on the operating table. Knowing that the table was less then comfortable, Leith had placed a blanket down onto the cold metal beforehand.

Leith made a final check on the skin grafts. Wiping away some of the residual bacta, he smiled at the results. Horribly burned skin now looked as if there had been no damage done to it at all. "Amazing, the skin looks brand new."

Relieved as he was by the news Anakin was incredibly impatient. "When will she wake up?"

Placing another blanket down over his patient, Leith made a few notes on his data pad before answering. "It won't be too long. She may be groggy for a bit when she wakes, a normal side effect."

Anakin nodded. He couldn't wait to show her the project he had been working on. "Thank you for all your help Dr. Leith. I am sure the Senator will want to give you her thanks as well when she wakes up."

"I was honored to be of service. Senator Amidala has done so much good for Naboo." Leith began packing up some of the nonessential items. "When she does wake and the grogginess has worn off she'll undoubtedly want to shower and she may be hungry. Both are fine; the shower won't cause any damage to the skin grafts and I recommend a light meal."

Leith's comments about Padmé almost threw him. He recovered without the junior doctor noticing. "I'll have to see if one of the senators' servants can prepare some food for her." Knowing his skill in the kitchen, he wasn't about to attempt making anything. With his luck, he'd end up blowing up the house. The thought brought a smile to his face; he was quite sure if that happened he'd never hear the end of it, both from Obi-wan and Padmé.

Leith smiled, reaching his hand out to shake Anakin's hand. "Very good, I must return to my office to give Dr. Onuda my final report. It was a pleasure to meet you sir." The two men shook hands and Leith was about to leave when he stopped snapping his fingers in the air. "Oh, I almost forgot, Dr. Onuda has arranged for the rest of the equipment to be shipped back to his office in the morning. I would not wish for the senator to wonder why strange men are wandering through her home." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Anakin cracked a smile. "No, indeed she would be not be overjoyed at that prospect. I will inform her when she wakes." He watched as Leith bowed his head before leaving then turned back to Dormé.

She was already beginning to stir, one hand slid out from under the blanket and off the side of the table. Anakin gently took her hand in his before placing it back on her stomach. He watched with anticipation as her eyes began to flutter open.

It was so bright, too bright as Dormé finally surfaced from the dark recesses of her mind. She moaned, letting her head roll to the side. Opening her eyes slowly, she recoiled at seeing a blurry dark figure standing over her. When she tried to sit up, Dormé felt two hands gently push her back down.

At first, she panicked, trying to push back against the restraining hands. Then she heard a calm voice speaking, "It's alright, your safe." She knew that voice. Blinking her eyes in an attempt to focus on the figure looming above her, Dormé whispered, her voice hoarse, "Anakin?"

"It's me. I promised you I would be here when you woke up and I always keep my promises." Anakin grinned.

It took a few moments for the grogginess to wear off, but Dormé was soon able to stand up from the table on her own. Anakin guided her to her chambers where she was able to shower and change her attire. When she came out of the fresher, Anakin was waiting with a tray of food for them both. She smiled weakly, still reeling from the strange images she had seen while unconscious before sitting down next to him.

As they ate, Anakin noticed immediately how distracted Dormé was. She would take a small bite of food before staring off into nothingness; one hand twirled a strand a hair, while the other pushed her food around the plate. Though he enjoyed the opportunity to observe her without embarrassment, he also loved when she was lively and talkative. Between bites of food, he spoke up. "I was thinking, if you are feeling up to it that is, if you would like to get out of this house for a little while tomorrow."

Dormé, lost in her own world was brought back by the sound of her companion speaking. "Huh, oh, um, yes that sounds lovely." She paused to gather her thoughts, an idea forming in her head. "Perhaps a picnic in the hills, I've heard it's lovely up there."

Anakin grinned, nodding hid head in approval of her idea and the conversation turned to what they would bring with them on the picnic as well as what they could do afterwards. They both agreed that sitting all day at the lake house with nothing to do would probably drive them both out of their skulls.

As they joked and laughed, Dormé couldn't help but let the odd images seen during her operation dissolve.

* * *

**Back on Coruscant**

After reviewing the information before her, Sabé set the data pad she was holding, down onto the table in front of her. The former decoy sighed, rubbing her weary eyes. So far, things were progressing smoothly. Every security precaution that she and Typo had set into place was working at top efficiency; keeping the Senator safe.

A task not easily accomplished with how stubborn the former Queen of Naboo could be. Padmé was normally very strict about her meeting schedule. However, in the days since her current decoy had departed Coruscant, Padmé had been sneaking off more and more frequently without a security detail. Though Sabé was not certain, she had a good idea where the Senator was spending her time: in the company of Senator Organa.

Several times, she had overheard holo comm conversations between Padmé and Bail of Alderaan. She had no knowledge about what the two friends and colleagues were discussing, but Sabé could only assume that whatever the topic was, it was going to lead the senator from Naboo into more danger. However, Sabé also knew she had no say in what recklessness Padmé was getting herself into. All she could do was keep a close watch on her friend and hope that any ill fortune could be prevented in time.

This was the reason why she was sitting in the suite, alone, going over every detail of security with a fine-tooth comb. She had been sitting in the same position since Padmé, Rabé, Moteé, and Typo had left earlier to speak with the Chancellor. Nothing could be left to chance when it came to protecting the Senator of Naboo. Just as she was about to review Padmés itinerary for the next day, the door chime sounded. While she was frustrated at being interrupted, Sabé couldn't help but be a little relieved at the reprieve. Standing up, she brushed a wrinkle out of her dress and strode towards the door to answer it.

Hesitantly, she opened door, relieved to find Jedi Kenobi standing outside. He smiled politely, bowing as he spoke. "Good day to you my lady. I apologize for my unexpected visit."

Sabé returned his respectful gesture with a bow and smile of her own. "Not at all Master Kenobi, the senator always welcomes a visit from the Jedi. Please come in." She stepped to the side to allow him to enter the suite.

Obi-wan stepped inside allowing the door to close behind him. He turned to address her. "I was hoping to speak with the senator about my investigation into the recent attacks."

Sabé walked with him towards the couches. "I'm sorry, Senator Amidala left earlier this morning. She was summoned to a meeting with the chancellor."

Rubbing his whiskers, Obi-wan frowned. "I see. There have been some recent developments that I wished to discuss with her, but I suppose that will not be possible."

Praying that she did not come across badly, Sabé replied, "The meeting should be over soon. You are welcome to wait here until then."

While he knew he must depart soon to follow up on his latest discovery, Obi-wan did wish to inform the senator of the progress he was making. Perhaps, he could speak with the Lady Sabé about what he had found out. She was one of Padmés most loyal handmaidens and second in charge of security. "Thank you, though I am short of time. In fact I must depart from Coruscant very soon." He sat down on one of the couches, pulling his robe closer around him.

Sabé nodded as she sat down across from the Jedi. As if reading his mind, "Has something occurred on Naboo?"

"Not yet, but that is a good sign. I have made some progress into my investigation though. I have learned where the dart that killed the last attacker was made and have been ordered to head to the planet Kamino to investigate." Obi-wan explained, knowing how eager all of Senator Amidala's handmaidens were to put an end to the recent threats.

"Kamino; I have never heard of that planet before. Where is it located exactly?" Sabé leaned back a look of confusion passing across her face.

Obi-wan was not surprised by her lack of knowledge about the strange system. "In all honesty my lady neither had I before today. My source tells me that the system is not a part of the republic. It is located beyond the outer rim."

Sabé folded her hands in her lap as he spoke. "If this system is so far away and has no role in the republic…who there could want the senator dead? Senator Amidala has never, to my knowledge, traveled there."

"I must admit, this is all very perplexing and disconcerting. With any luck I will uncover the answers to these questions soon." Obi-wan gave her a comforting smile before standing. "I should be going. The sooner I reach Kamino the sooner we can put this messy business behind us."

"Thank you for taking the time. I know Senator Amidala will be pleased to hear that progress is being made." Sabé stood up, walking with him towards the door. "I will be sure to inform her as soon as she returns."

Obi-wan looked at Sabé, "Please tell her that I am confident that this situation will be resolved soon and should I receive any information from Naboo, I will send a communication to her immediately". He bowed his head.

Sabé was certain that matter where well in hand on Naboo. She had a great deal of confidence in Dormé's abilities. Strangely, she was more concerned with Padmés behavior. She hoped Obi-wan was right about the matter being settled soon. As he was about to step out of the apartment door, Sabé stopped him with a hand on his shoulder "Master Kenobi, be careful and be safe." As she spoke, Sabé bowed her head.

Grateful for her kind words, Obi-wan replied "And you as well my lady." With one final kind smile, Obi-wan left the apartment.

The door closed behind him, leaving Sabé alone once more. This latest information was disturbing. Could these strange meetings with Senator Organa have anything to do with the recent attempts on Padmés life? Moreover, what did this odd, practically unknown planet have to do with it all?

With any luck, Obi-wan would figure everything out. Settling back into her seat, Sabé picked up her data pad and resigned herself to the current task before her, protecting Padmé

She had no idea that her mission was only going to get harder as the days passed.

* * *

**Back on Naboo: Next Morning**

Dormé and Anakin traveled up into the hills early the next morning for their picnic. The sun shined brightly but a cool breeze made the heat bearable as they made their way to the picnic spot.

When they reached their destination, Dormé could not help but be amazed at the beautiful waterfalls that surrounded them. Never in her life had she seen such magnificence. The sunlight danced off the water as it rushed down to the river below, making it sparkle.

"Piece of echuta". Anakin's outburst caused Dormé to shift her gaze onto where he stood laying out the blanket. While the breeze was incredibly cooling, it was causing some difficulty when it came to keeping the blanket on the ground. For the fifth time, she watched, amused, as he stamped his foot down onto one of the corners.

"Do you want some help?" Dormé asked, trying to hide her amusement. She watched him put a hand down to flip one of the other corners down.

Anakin looked up, lifting his hand. The corner stayed in place and he grinned, only to watch in complete disbelief as another breeze flipped it back. "Iquicha, I give up." He sat down in the middle of the blanket in a huff.

Dormé shook her head before walking over to where her Jedi protector sat. "There is a simple remedy to this predicament." Leaning down she slipped off her shoes. She held them up with a smirk, laid one down on the right front corner than placed the other down on the other front corner. Dormé looked back up at him. "That's two corners."

Taking her hint, Anakin removed his boots, placing them down on the back corners of the blanket. When he turned around Dormé was biting her knuckle to keep from laughing. "Very funny".

"You should have seen your face." Dormé said as she laughed. She tried to mimic the angry expression that Anakin had been wearing.

Her imitation had him laughing along. "Well you certainly took long enough to point out a simple solution." Anakin looked at her, a friendly challenge in his eyes.

Never one to back down from a challenge, "I didn't think a Jedi would have such trouble defeating a simple blanket. Next time I'll try to come to your rescue sooner." She winked before sitting down next to him.

When the laughter died down somewhat, Dormé began to pull all the food out of the basket they had brought. They ate in silence for a while, simply enjoying the beauty of the day. Anakin went to grab another piece of bread when he felt something small hit the side of his head. He looked down to see a small berry at his feet. Looking back up, he noticed Dormé trying desperately to focus on anything but him. "Did you throw this at me?" Anakin picked up the berry, holding it up.

Dormé bit into her own berry. "Hmm…oh…of course not." She looked away finishing off the berry in her mouth.

She wasn't fooling him, but he would play her little game. Just as he leaned back to grab his bread, another berry came flying at him. Quickly he reached his hand back and caught it. "Now, I know you threw that one."

"What if I did?" This time it was Dormé presenting the challenge.

Anakin shook his head chuckling as he sat back. "Your completely different from all of the senators other handmaidens. At her curious gaze, he clarified. "What I mean is…they're all so serious, all the time."

The breeze blew a few strands of hair in front of Dormés face and she brushed them back into place. "I'm serious when I have to be, but I've learned…that life's too short to be serious all the time." Her grin was replaced by a very serious expression, as she asked "Just how many of her handmaidens have you met and spent time with, Anakin?"

"Well…um…I…uh…" Anakin stuttered, his face quickly turning red. He had met Sabé, Padmé's former bodyguard and decoy, and that was years ago when he was a small boy. Even when Sabé's identity was revealed in the Gungan village, the elder handmaiden had remained as cool and proper as before.

Dormé burst into laughter. "I was only joking Anakin. Your impression of us handmaidens is partly correct. Most of the others do spend an awful lot of time being practical. We have to take the jobs assigned to us seriously though. If we are careless for even a second the senator would be left vulnerable and then…" Dormé could not bring herself to speak the words, but the implication was clear. "However, unlike most of the other girls, I choose to be lighthearted and silly when the opportunity presents itself." She smiled cheerfully before popping a berry into her mouth.

"Personally, I could do with people who are less uppity. Obi-wan has been a wonderful teacher and he's like a brother, but he never just relaxes. I don't even think he knows how to." Anakin bit into a piece of bread as he finished speaking.

Dormé looked down, nodding her head. "It can be dangerous to become too relaxed. One never truly knows when there might be a…sneak attack" Dormé grinned before launching a whole mess of berries at him.

Anakin caught as many as he could and deflected a few more, but several bounced off his head. He looked from the berries in his hand up to where Dormé was laughing hysterically. A huge grin spread across his face. "Attacking a Jedi, that was not a wise move milady."

"Perhaps not, but it certainly was fun." Dormé said still giggling. She didn't notice Anakin moving closer to her on the blanket.

"You've left me with only one course of action to pursue." Anakin sighed, as he slid slowly towards her.

Dormé peered over at him, now aware that he had come closer. They looked at each other, tiny grins on both of their faces. As if reading his mind, Dormé shot up just as Anakin tried to reach out and grab her. "Hah! You'll have to be much quicker then that."

Anakin pulls himself up, ready for a new challenge "Oh, you better run Dormé." Now on his feet he rushed towards her.

Without hesitating, the young handmaiden dashed away. Even barefoot, she managed to elude him. Dormé yelled to her pursuer. "I don't think your trying very hard." She kept running, amused that she was able to get away so easily. As she raced down the slope of the hill, she stopped short, startled by what she saw.

Oblivious to the fact that his prey had stopped moving, Anakin came running down the hill. His eyes went wide when he realized that Dormé was standing stock-still. He called out to her, "Dormé, look out!"

Broken out of her stupor, Dormé turned around. Quick reflexes allowed her to step out of his path. She grabbed his arm as he passed by and felt one of his arms wrap around her waist. "Anakin…whoaaaa" his forward momentum spun them both around until they finally collapsed on the ground, dizzy.

Dormé landed on top of Anakin as they hit the ground and she heard him grunt from the force of the impact. "Are you alright?" Anakin's eyes were closed and from the sound he had made, Dormé worried that she had injured him.

It took a few moments, but eventually Anakin opened his eyes. "I guess I caught you after all milady." A cheeky grin spread across his lips.

Relieved that he was okay, but not amused at his joking, Dormé smirked then started to hit his arms and chest lightly. "You sir, have very poor manners".

"Hey, I have very good manners. I could have just plowed into you, but I'm a gentleman." Anakin spoke up as he fought off her attack.

Dormé laughed, ceasing her attack and flopping down beside him on her back. "Note to self, don't grab a hold of the "gentleman" as he runs past you down a hill" She turned her head to look at him, snickering.

"Oh, that's sound advice, unless of course the gentleman in question is heading towards the edge of a cliff." Anakin laughed before pulling himself off the ground. He reached a hand down to help her up.

"Thank you." Dormé accepted his hand, brushing off her dress as she stood up. "I should apologize to the gentleman than. If I had not just stopped neither of us would have wound up end over end."

Anakin waved off her apology. "No harm done, though I am curious as to why you stopped so suddenly."

Dormé blushed. She had completely forgotten about the strange creatures she had seen. "Oh, um I um…" She pointed further down the hill, where a small group of Shaaks' was nibbling at the grass.

While they the animals looked harmless, Anakin knew that looks could often be deceiving. "They don't appear ferocious to me. Do you know what they are?" Anakin asked curiously, his eyes pulling away from the oddly shaped quadrupeds.

"I think they're called Shaaks. I've heard about them, but I've never seen one before. At least not this close" Again, Dormé blushed, looking away, realizing how silly he must think she was.

Anakin smiled. "Weird looking creatures; good thing you stopped me when you did. I might have wound up being stomped on by those things." He took her hand in his, "They seem to be enjoying their lunch. Come on let's go finish ours."

Grateful that he didn't seem fazed, Dormé grinned. "Sounds like a plan. I think there was still some desert left."

Anakin was never one to pass down desert, "What are we waiting for?" With that said, the pair began the climb back up the hillside to their abandoned picnic.

* * *

Tbc

I know, I know. Not much excitement in this chapter, but I'm still sort of trying to build up the relationship between Dormé and Anakin with little moments. Things will start to pick up next chapter.


	7. Dunes of Tattoine

Anakin and Dormé spent most of the day at their picnic on the hillside

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Chapter 7 – Dunes of Tattoine  
Rating: M Contains content suitable for mature teens and older or Rated R  
Authors Note: I know you fans have been waiting awhile for this chapter and I apologize for the long wait. I have been bogged down with schoolwork and a severe case of writers block. I was finally able to get over the hump and produce, what I feel is a pretty good chapter that will get us closer to some major Dormékin action. Thanks to Jody for sending me the soundtrack to the new Clone Wars movie. The music rocks and if you really want to get into this chapter, give a listen to Dunes of Tattoine and Rough Landing. They really amplify certain Tattoine scenes. I do hope that this chapter was well worth the wait. As always, I do not own Star Wars or any original characters. I am using them without permission (but have not all fanfic writers done so?) To begin, a little recap of the last chapter.

* * *

_**Recap**_

"_I think they're called Shaaks. I've heard about them, but I've never seen one before. At least not this close" Again, Dormé blushed, looking away, realizing how silly he must think she was._

_Anakin smiled. "Weird looking creatures; good thing you stopped me when you did. I might have wound up being stomped on by those things." He took her hand in his, "They seem to be enjoying their lunch. Come on let's go finish ours."_

_Grateful that he didn't seem fazed, Dormé grinned. "Sounds like a plan. I think there was still some desert left."_

_Anakin was never one to pass down desert, "What are we waiting for?" With that said, the pair began the climb back up the hillside to their abandoned picnic._

* * *

Anakin and Dormé spent most of the day on the hillside. Only when the sun began its descent in the sky, did they decide to head back to the lakehouse. Dormé slipped on her shoes and quickly packed up their supplies, while Anakin pulled his boots back onto his feet. When he stood up, Anakin offered to carry the blanket and the case that held the remnants of their meal. Dormé blushed before handing the items over to Anakin. She was not used to having others wait on her after all.

Once they were set, the pair started back down the hillside.

"I wonder what the servants prepared for dinner," Anakin asked as they reached the path that would lead them back to the lakehouse.

Dormé gave him a look of astonishment. "You can't possibly be hungry after all the food we had for lunch?"

Anakin looked over at her with a grin "I am a growing Jedi."

"Just be sure you grow taller and not…" Dormé gestured to her hips and then pulled her hands outward, laughing as she did so.

"Oh ha ha, this from the woman who ate almost as much as I did at lunch" Anakin teased.

Dormé stuck her tongue out at him quickly before replying in almost a whisper. "Well, you're a growing Jedi, I am a growing handmaiden." They shared another giggle as they finally reached the house.

Anakin handed off the picnic supplies to one of the servants as he stepped inside. When Dormé excused herself, stating that she needed to freshen up, he decided to finalize the modifications on the surprise he had made for her. He wasn't sure if she would like it, but he thought it couldn't hurt to give his new friend a small token of his friendship.

Sitting down on one of the couches in the sitting room, Anakin finished his tinkering and slipped the gift back into its hiding spot. He leaned back against the soft cushion and closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for Dormé to return.

He was not sure what triggered it, but as he sat there, the visions of his mother began once more. She was being pulled away from him, screaming her sons name over and over again. Anakin could almost feel the pain she was in. His insides tore apart as she screamed one last time and his eyes shot open.

"Anakin, are you alright?" Dormé stood over him, her hand pressing lightly on his shoulder and a look of concern written across her face. She had returned to find him sitting deathly still, his forehead and face covered in sweat.

Taking a few breaths of air, Anakin was on his feet. "I I'm sorry. I have to go." He wiped his face and began to pace in front of the fireplace.

Dormé looked at Anakin in confusion. "Go, go where?" She watched as he brushed past her and began walking back and forth. His body language spoke all she needed to know and at once she understood what had happened. "You had another of your dreams, didn't you?"

"I saw her Dormé. I saw my mother. I could feel the pain she's in. She's suffering Dormé. Something is trying to kill her, I have to save her." Anakin spoke as he stared into the fire burning in the fireplace, panic heavy in his voice. I know I'm supposed to be protecting you, but I have to go, I have to help her, now."

While she knew little about the Jedi and the powers they possessed Dormé was not about to argue with Anakin. It was obvious that the dreams he was having meant something. "Then we should go and save her."

Anakin turned away from the fire. "You would come with me?" His next words came out softly so as not to draw attention, "What about the senator, what about Obi-wan?"

"I can't very well remain here without my Jedi protector. If I come with you you'd still be doing your duty to protect milady and," Dormé paused before moving closer to him. "We don't have to inform Master Kenobi at least not yet." She gave him a reassuring smile.

He had to admit, Dormé had a point. His mandate had said only to protect "the senator". If Dormé chose to leave Naboo, he would have to leave as well so as not to disobey this mandate. A smile formed on his lips "As you wish, milady".

"Let me change into something suitable for travel and we'll go." Dormé smiled warmly at him before heading back to her room to change.

After changing her wardrobe and informing the servants of their departure, Anakin and Dormé made their way to the dock. When they arrived back in Theed, Anakin was able to arrange a transport to get them to Tatooine.

As they boarded the ship, neither noticed Dr. Onuda watching them. The ship lifted off and Onuda quickly lifted his holocomm. "They have just departed. I trust my end of the bargain has been fulfilled to your satisfaction."

Palpatine stared back at him from the screen. "For now, Doctor, for now." The transmission abruptly ended.

* * *

It took a day and a half to reach Tatooine. Once they arrived, the pair immediately sought out Watto, the Toydarian that owned Anakin and his mother when he was a boy. As they rode through the streets of Mos Espa, Dormé wondered why any human would want to live on such a dreadfully warm planet. She had thought the hood on the pale green cloak would offer her some shade from the suns, but she was beginning to see the blunder in that thought. The heat was stifling and she could feel the sweat gathering on her back and forehead.

Anakin was not oblivious to Dormés' struggle. Every so often, she shifted in her seat, adjusted her hood, or put a hand to her forehead. She was sweltering and with each passing moment, he worried about her well-being. Hopefully they would find some information about his mother and he could get his friend somewhere cool.

The cart stopped as they finally reached their destination. Anakin was quick to hop down, but turned and helped Dormé down before telling the droid driver to wait for them to return. He and Dorme approached the shop of his former owner.

"Chut, chut, Watto _Excuse me Watto_." Anakin spoke to Watto in his native Huttese.

The Toydarian did not look up at his visitors, too irritated at being disturbed. "Ke booda? _What_?" He was busy trying to fix something for one of the few customers he had left.

Anakin leaned down picking up the piece of equipment Watto had been working on. "Ding me chasa hopa. _Let me help you with that_." He began to put the machine back together again quickly.

"Ke booda? Yo baan pee hota. No wega mi condorta. _What? I don't know you…what can I do for you_?" Watto angrily replied. Why was this human bothering him? As he glanced up, he noticed the lightsaber weapon hanging from the boys' belt. He started to get nervous. His last encounter with any Jedi had not ended well. "Kin chasa du Jedi. No Bata tu tu. _You look like a Jedi. What it is…I didn't do it_." Flustered, Watto accidentally dropped the screwdriver down onto his foot, cursing at his own clumsiness.

"Mi boska di Shmi Skywalker. _I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker_." Anakin stated flatly.

Watto looked up at Anakin suspiciously, over at Dormé, and then back at Anakin. "Ani? Little Ani?" It had been years since the Jedi had taken the boy and destroyed his livelihood. This couldn't be him. "Naaahh." Only then did he notice that the machine in the boys hand was back together and functioning. Only one human he knew could fix things so quickly. "You are Ani, it is you! Ya sure sprouted! And a Jedi, waddya know." An idea began to form in his head and he smiled. "Hey, maybe you couldda help wit some deadbeats who owe me a lot of money…"

Anakin was hardly interested in helping his former owner. His only concern was finding his mother. He glared at the Toydarian, "My mother."

Realizing his mistake, Watto quickly answered. "Oh, yeah. Shmi…she's not mine no more. I sold her."

Fanning herself with her hand, Dormé spoke up, shocked by this information. While she had known Anakin had been a slave as a boy, she could not fathom how someone could sell another person. "Sold her…?"

Watto glanced over at Dormé. "Yes, years ago." His eyes moved back to Anakin. "Sorry, Ani, but you know, business is business. I sold her to a moisture farmer named Lars. Least I think it was Lars." He started to laugh. "Believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her. Can ya beat that?"

"Do you know where they are?" Anakin asked. He was so close to finding his mother and putting his fear for her life to rest once and for all.

"Long way from here…someplace over on the other side of Mos Eisley, I think…" Watto rubbed his face, trying to remember just where the Lars lived.

Anakin looked grimly at Watto. "I'd like to know."

Watto quickly got the message that Anakin was not there to play games. "Yeah…sure…absolutely. Let's go look in my records." He stuttered allowing Anakin and Dormé to enter his shop before him. The sooner he gave Anakin the information he wanted, the sooner he could go back to his quiet life.

* * *

"Oh blast! This is why I hate flying." Obi-wan growled as one of Jango Fett's missiles caused bits to fly off his starfighter. He had tracked the bounty hunter and his son from Kamino on the councils order. He was supposed to bring Jango back for questioning. At the moment, he was dodging laser fire and sonic charges in an effort to stay alive long enough to bring the bounty hunter in.

Passing through an asteroid field wasn't helping matters. Obi-wan's flying skills were certainly being tested as he weaved from side to side, trying to avoid the massive floating rocks and yet another missile heading his way. A large asteroid tumbled across his path and he scrambled through his brain for a plan. Luckily, one produced itself from the asteroid blocking his path. "R4, prepare to jettison the spare parts canisters. Release them…now!"

Just in time, the canisters impacted with the missile, causing a huge explosion. Using the explosion as a smoke screen, Obi-wan than used the asteroid as cover, landing his ship on the opposite side to avoid Jango from detecting it. His gamble paid off and Fett's ship soon broke off and began its descent toward the planet of Geonosis.

"Well R4, I think we've waited long enough… follow his last known trajectory." Obi-wan sighed, moving his fighter out from the backside of the asteroid. R4 locked onto the coordinates and the ship descended toward Geonosis in pursuit.

For a brief moment, Obi-wan pondered how he would describe this particular adventure to Lady Sabé on his return. Recently they had begun a rather pleasing ritual. When he returned from his missions or she from hers, they would sit, enjoy a nice cup of tea, and just talk. As always, the mere thought of the lovely handmaiden brought a sense of peace into his being. Soon enough he had regained his focus and was ready to continue with his mission.

* * *

After getting the information on his mother's whereabouts from Watto, Anakin and Dormé returned to their ship and took off. Their destination was the other side of Mos Eisley where the Lars lived on. As soon as the ship lifted off Dorme excused herself so she could freshen up a bit. Meanwhile, Anakin was lost in his thoughts. Would his mother be alright? What would she think of him? He had left Tatooine years ago as a boy. Would she be proud of the man he was becoming? His mind ran through dozens of questions to ask her. He was so wrapped up in his thinking; he didn't hear Dorme return till she spoke.

"Is that it?" Dorme pointed to a settlement that was fast approaching. She wasn't exactly certain what they were looking for, but the dome shaped structure the ship quickly flew over was one of the only buildings she had seen in the vast desert area.

Anakin caught a glimpse of the building and nodded. "Sorry, yes that looks like it." He turned the ship around, flew back over and landed on a bluff that overlooked the homestead of the Lars. When the ship was on the ground, the pair stepped out, Dormé once again pulling the hood up on her cloak and cursing the heat of Tatooine. They started walking toward the trail that would take them to the Lars home when Dormé turned around, "Stay with the ship R2".

The little R2 unit whistled in compliance and Dormé couldn't help but smile at the strange little droid that Senator Amidala and Anakin had befriended years ago.

Anakin strode forward, stopping only long enough for Dormé to catch up. As the approached the home, Anakin noticed a familiar droid working outside. The droid glanced up and began to introduce himself.

"Oh, hello, how might I be of service? I am C…" The droid began almost cheerfully.

Instantly, Anakin remembered the droid he had begun to build as a child. When he had left with the Jedi, his creation had not had any coverings. Now, a dull golden metal covered the circuits and inner workings of the droid. "Threepio?"

After a few seconds pause, it seemed that C-3P0 recognized just whom he was speaking too. He burst out in as much glee as a droid could exude. "Oh, my… the maker. Master Anakin! I knew you would return. I knew you would!" His metal eyes turned to glance at Dormé. "And is this Miss Padmé?"

A bit astonished by the droids enthusiasm Dormé quietly replied. "Hello, Threepio."

"Oh, my circuits! I'm so pleased to see you both!" Threepio shuffled forward, moving a bit closer to them.

Anakin was eager to see his mother, and though he was pleased to see his old droid again he put an end to Threepios' prattling. "I've come to see my mother."

Threepio paused for moment before stuttering, "Oh…I think…I think perhaps we'd better go indoors." He led them down into the courtyard and introduced them. "Master Owen! Might I present two important visitors?"

Anakin watched as a young man, a few years older them himself stepped forward. A young blonde haired woman was at his side. "I'm Anakin Skywalker."

The young man nodded. "Owen Lars. This is my girlfriend, Beru." The girl smiled as she said hello.

Dormé smiled back politely, "I'm Padmé." She thought it best to keep up the pretense of being the senator for the time being.

Owen gave Dormé a slight nod, barely glancing at her before addressing Anakin. "I guess I'm your stepbrother. I had a feeling you might show up some day."

Hardly impressed by Owens' lack of hospitality toward Dormé, Anakin spoke nothing about being Owens stepbrother as he stepped forward, looking around the home. "Is my mother here?"

"No…she's not." An older gentleman came out of the house on a small floating chair. Balancing awkwardly, he lifted a hand up to Anakin. "Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife." He sighed sadly, "Come on inside. We have a lot to talk about."

Anakin, Dormé, Owen, and Beru followed Cliegg inside. Once inside, Dormé immediately took off her cloak. Beru took the heavy garment from her then set about making them all some drinks. She brought the drinks on a tray over to table just as everyone was sitting down.

"It was just before dawn. They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders." Cliegg looked over at Anakin. "Your mother had gone out early, like she always did to pick the mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. She was about halfway home when they took her judging from the tracks they left."

Anakin looked straight ahead, feeling as though his world was crumbling. If the Tuskens had her there was no telling what condition she was in. He couldn't bring himself to believe she was dead.

"Those Tuskens…they walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after her. Only four of us returned." Cliegg paused looking down at his bandaged leg in sorrow. I'd be out there looking for now, but…after I lost my leg I can't ride any more…not until it heals."

Dormé felt terrible. If only they could have somehow gotten here sooner. Maybe if she hadn't been injured they could have arrived in time to prevent this from happening. She placed her hand on Anakin's arm trying to offer what comfort she could. He looked devastated.

Cliegg went on after rubbing his wounded limb. "This isn't the way I wanted to meet you son, or how we planned it. I…I don't want to give up on her, but…she's been gone for weeks now. There's not much hope that she's lasted this long."

The room was silent until Anakin stood up, moving toward the door.

Owen called out to him, "Where are you going?"

Anakin turned around, "To find my mother." He was about to leave but Cliegg placed a hand on his arm. "Your mother's dead, son. Accept it."

Dormé was shocked that this man who had married Shmi and claimed to love her could so easily give up on her. She began to wonder why Owen wasn't out looking for her. Surely if his father couldn't help he would have readily gone to find his stepmother. Anakin gave both of the Lars men a sharp look then left without another word. Dormé stood up and followed after him. If he was going to go find his mother she wasn't about to let him go on his own, especially if Shmi was alive and wounded. He would need her help.

She found Anakin standing outside looking across the dusty plain. He had already found a speeder bike for his travel to the Tusken camp. Sensing her approach Anakin turned to speak with her. "You should stay here, you'll be safe…" Dormés fingers on his lips stopped him.

"I'm coming with you. I may not know much, but if your mother is injured I can be of some help." Dormé held her fingers against his mouth. While she had no formal medical training, her rough childhood has insured she knew how to tend to some wounds at least.

"No, the Tuskens are dangerous you could get really hurt." Anakin took her hand in his.

If the situation had been different, Dormé would have laughed, instead she softly whispered, "I am acquainted with danger as you well know. Its part of my job description and I can take care of myself. Now stop arguing with me because you're not going to win."

"You realize we may end up not coming back from this? I just want to make that perfectly clear." Anakin explained. While he wasn't all that concerned about himself, Dormés well-being was of great concern to him.

Dormé grinned warmly, "Your point is duly noted, now let's go. Who knows what those creatures are doing to your poor mother."

Anakin shook his head. Dormé had to be one of the most unique individuals he had ever met. She was calm and attentive one moment and in the next moment she would be ready to fight with such fire and courage. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. It wouldn't be till much later when he realized how much that meant to him. He watched her walk toward the speeder, eyeing it curiously before striding forward to join her.

Neither knew how the events about to occur would test their budding friendship or how that from their friendship something far greater would bloom.

* * *

A lone speeder raced across the sands of Tattoine. Cliegg reluctantly allowed Anakin and Dormé to take his old land speeder. It was clunky and had been somewhat damaged when the men had first gone out to try and find Shmi. Anakin set to work quickly trying to get the thing started. After one failed attempt and a few adjustments later, the land speeder came to life. Cliegg, Owen, and Beru looked on as Shmi's son and his companion made ready to leave.

Owen scoffed at the whole idea, telling them both that they were crazy to attempt a rescue, especially Dormé.

Dormé politely thanked him, but stated that someone had to have the stones to try and find Shmi. With that she climbed in the seat next to Anakin, and the speeder took off, leaving two stunned Lars men and a somewhat amused Beru behind.

They stopped once along the way when Anakin decided to ask some native creatures where the Tuskens were camped. By nightfall she and Anakin reached the location of the camp, stopping the speeder near the edge of a cliff. Anakin was the first to hop out and creep to the edge while Dorme pinned up the bottom of her dress so that it would not hinder her movement. Once she was satisfied, she climbed out and crept to the edge, seeing the Tusken camp nestled below.

"How are we supposed to get down there?" Dormé whispered.

"You trust me?" Anakin looked over at her with an odd look that she wouldn't understand until much later.

"Of course I trust you." It was such a silly question for him to ask after everything they had already been through since leaving Coruscant.

"Then hang on." He grabbed a hold of her waist and without any warning jumped off the edge of the cliff.

Dormé had to bite back the urge to scream in terror as they plummeted towards the hard ground below. Much to her surprise they landed without dying and Anakin could feel her shaking. He whispered, "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him after several moments of examining her body to make sure it was all intact and whispered, "Apparently, but next time, perhaps you'll give me some warning when your going to do that."

Anakin couldn't help the grin that passed across his lips, but it faded quickly as his focus returned to finding his mother. Together, they quietly sneaked through the camp, going from hut to hut, and hiding in the shadows. As they moved, Dormé could hear the sand creatures talking, but couldn't understand a word of it. She made a note to ask Anakin about it once they were far away from this place.

Finally, they spotted a hut being guarded by two Tuskens. That had to be where they were keeping Anakin's mother. With ease, the pair crept toward the back of the hut. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and cut into the huts wall, which fell apart leaving a hole that both Anakin and Dorme climbed through.

The hut was filled with candles; Anakin immediately spotted his mother and rushed to her side. She was hanging from a wooden frame in the middle of the hut. Her face bore several large gashes; her wrists were red and raw from the rope holding her up. Dormé gasped in shock at the severity of her wounds, moving to help Anakin get her free.

Once Shmi was in Anakin's arm, Dormé began tending to what wounds she could. Using the pins in her dress, she tore pieces of the fabric to gently wrap around the open cuts on Shmi's wrists. Anakin meanwhile cradled his mother trying to get some response from her. "Mom…mom…mom…"

Shmi's eyelids fluttered open. She felt so weak from lack of food, water and her injuries. It took her several moments for her vision to clear and when it had she was certain she was seeing things. "Ani…? Is it you…?

Anakin choked back the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm here Mom…you're safe now."

"Ani? Ani? Oh, you look so handsome. My son, I'm so proud of you Ani, I missed you. Now…I am complete." Shmi smiled as best she could, but she was in a great deal of pain.

Dormé watched the tender moment while dabbing at the cuts that streaked across one of Shmi's cheeks. The relationship that Anakin had with his mother was one she had once hoped she could share with her own mother; one filled with love and genuine affection. "We need to get her home so we can better tend to her wounds."

Anakin nodded before looking back down at his mother. "Just hang on mom. I'm going to make you well again. Everything's…going to be fine." He lifted her up off the ground and carried her through the hole. Dormé followed him out only to be pushed back in by Anakin. "What are you…?"

"We've got company." Anakin said, gently lowering Shmi onto her feet. Dorme helped the older woman remain upright. Anakin ignited his lightsaber and sliced through one of the Tusken raiders. The sound of the dying creature alerted the other raiders and they came running towards the hut. "I'll clear a path; just get my mother out of this place." He swung his lightsaber and another Tusken fell down dead.

Not keen on leaving him behind, but knowing that getting Anakin's mother to safety was a priority, Dorme nodded. "Just be careful." She and Shmi moved as quickly as they could, with Dorme holding Shmi up and Anakin blazing a pathway with his lightsaber. When they reached the edge of the camp, Dorme and Shmi trudged away and out of sight.

Once Anakin was certain that his mother and Dorme were safe, he became even more focused on the battle, not realizing that he was drawing upon the dark side of the force. These creatures were evil; they had taken his mother and nearly killed her. No one could destroy them once and for all, no one but him. His anger fueled him as he sliced through one Tusken after another. Their screams were a symphony to his ears.

* * *

After trudging along for a bit, Dorme stopped, to let Shmi rest for a moment. They both nestled down onto the sand and Dorme tried to see what other wounds she could tend to. As she did this, she spotted a hill that would take them all back towards where the speeder was and groaned that she and Anakin could have gone that way to begin with. Shmi mumbled something and Dorme leaned over to hear the older woman.

"Where's…Ani…?" Shmi mumbled, her eyes fluttering open and closed. Dorme knew that the woman must be exhausted and in pain.

"He'll be here soon. Rest, save your strength." Dorme sighed when Shmi nodded. She had little to no knowledge how to start the speeder much less drive it, so they were forced to wait upon Anakin. Dorme hoped he was alright and that he would return soon.

* * *

Anakin unleashed his fury upon every Tusken raider that crossed his path. As he moved across the encampment he came upon three young Tuskens. He lifted his lightsaber ready to strike when he heard someone shout his name.

"Anakin, STOP!"

* * *

He was taking too long. Dorme was certain something had happened to him. She leaned down to check on Shmi. Anakin's mother was in and out of consciousness, but holding on for the time being. "Lady Shmi, I'm going to go check on Anakin. I'll be back, I promise." Dorme whispered. She was shocked when Shmi grabbed her hand.

"Thank you…my dear." Shmi gave Dorme a weak smile before releasing the young handmaidens' hand.

Dorme shook her head, "You don't have to thank me. We'll get you home safe." She stood up and headed back toward the encampment as fast as she could. When she reached the camp she was stunned at how many Tuskens lay dead. "Anakin…" she whispered before picking up one of the fallen creatures long staffs in case she had to defend herself. She hurried past all the fallen bodies to reach Anakin. She spotted him hovering over three of the small Tuskens who she assumed where children. "Anakin!" Dorme hurried forward and gasped when she saw Anakin lifting his lightsaber. He was going to kill them. She had to stop him. Killing those who attacked you had meaning, killing defenseless children was a heartless act. Anakin was not a heartless man.

"Anakin, STOP!"

Dormés voice broke through the haze of the dark side that had overwhelmed him. Slowly his lightsaber lowered and the three Tuskens dashed off into the night. He turned around, looking at his pretty companion before a wave of nausea grab hold of him and he sunk to his knees dry heaving.

Dropping down beside him, Dorme placed tossed the staff aside and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Anakin recovered, lifting his head up to look at her. "I'm, I'm fine."

"What happened? Were you going to kill those children?" Dorme asked him. Surely, she must have been wrong. Anakin could never do something so cruel.

"I…I don't know." Anakin shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He could still see the small Tuskens cowering on the ground. The image was disturbing. He pushed it aside as he stood up. "Where's my mother?"

"Come on, she's not far. I found an easier way to get back to the speeder." Dorme took his hand and together they made their way to where Shmi lay. Anakin lifted his mother into his arms and climbed up the hill with Dorme right behind him.

Once they had found the speeder, Dorme helped Shmi in, before getting in herself. Anakin climbed into the drivers' seat, started up the speeder, and took off back across the desert.

While he was relieved to have found his mother alive, her condition was uncertain. Even more troubling was the foreboding feeling that something just as terrible was yet to happen.

Little did he know just how right he would was.

* * *

Tbc

I know, kind of a lame ending to the chapter, but I wanted to put something out for you fans and this seemed like a good place to end this one. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Looks like Shmi is alive for the moment, but will she remain so? Will Dorme confront Anakin about the Tusken children again? What will these two do next? Guess we will just have to wait until the next chapter.

Do not forget to send me a little review. 


	8. The Aftermath

Title: A Clever Seduction  
Author: Chrissykat  
Ship: Dormékin  
Category: Drama/Angst/Romance  
Part: Chapter 8 - The Aftermath  
Rating: M Contains content suitable for mature teens and older or Rated R  
Authors Note: Sorry for the major delay. I had to deal with some personal issues and then got very busy with school stuff. To recap, Anakin and Dormé have just rescued Shmi from the Tuskens. Anakin went all DS on the Tuskens, but was halted in his actions by Dormé. Now they are racing back to the Lars homestead with the injured Shmi. Will they be able to save her? Will Dormé confront Anakin about what happened back at the Tusken camp? Read on to see what occurs in the Aftermath.

* * *

Dormé had to bite back a sharp reply when Anakin asked if his mother was all right for what seemed like the millionth time. She knew he was concerned for Shmi's well-being, but it was difficult to focus on keeping his mother comfortable and answer a question she had answered numerous times already. Dormé gave him the only answer she could. "She's hanging on, how much further?"

"Were almost there, I can see the edge of the farm now." Anakin replied racing the speeder as fast as he could. In the distance, he could see the vaporators that outlined the Lars homestead.

As soon as the speeder came to stop in front of the homestead, Anakin jumped out, ran to the other side and lifted his mother out. Owen came up to meet them just as Dormé was climbing out of the speeder. "You found her." His face held a look of astonishment.

Glaring angrily at his stepbrother, Anakin hurried inside with Shmi. Dormé turned to Owen, "We're going to need a physician."

Owen nodded, irritated by Anakin's attitude. "There may be one in Mos Espa, but it will take time to get there and back."

"Then you better move fast. I suggest you get in that speeder and leave now." Dormé pointed back at the speeder then rushed inside after Anakin.

* * *

Anakin gently set his mother down, taking a seat on the floor next to her. She had to survive; he would accept no other fate. In times like these, he deeply regretted having so little talent for the Jedi healing arts. He had never excelled in the study of healing others. If only Obi-wan was with them. He was far more skilled in that area. Anakin picked up Shmi's hand, holding it in his own. "You're going to be okay mom. I promise you."

Beru and Cliegg were next into the room after hearing all the commotion. Beru immediately moved to Shmi's side. Cliegg held back, shocked at the appearance of his wife. "What have they done to her?"

"They nearly killed her." Anakin replied gruffly without taking his eyes off his mother's prone form.

When Dormé came in, she found Anakin cradling his mothers hand within his own. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him. "Anakin…Anakin…" It took several tries to get her friends attention. Finally tore his eyes away from Shmi. "Can you help her Dormé?"

"I will do what I can. Owen has gone for a physician." Dormé knelt down next to Shmi, checking on the older woman's wounds. She looked up at Beru and Cliegg, "I think most of the bruises and cuts will heal, but if she has any internal injuries…." She paused, letting the others draw their own conclusions. Shoving aside the feelings of helpless that threatened to overcome her, Dormé continued, "I'll need some water to clean her wounds and some bacta if you have any, to treat the larger cuts, while we wait for the healer".

Anakin gave Dormé the room she needed but remained close enough to keep a watchful eye on his mother.

Without hesitation, Beru set off, fetching the necessary items. She returned with a wooden bowl, a cloth, and a small amount of bacta. "Here is the water, but I'm afraid we don't have much bacta left. We used a good deal on Mr. Lars when he was injured by the sand people."

"This will have to do. I'm sure the healer will bring more." Dormé replied with a weak smile and set about cleaning Shmi's cuts. Once the wounds were clean, she placed the bacta on the worst of the cuts then sat back on her heals with a sigh, thankful that her rough childhood had given her a sense of how to treat some wounds. "I've done all I know how to do. We will have to wait for the healer to know if she has any…injuries that we can not see."

Anakin knelt once more near his mother, his eyes lingering on Shmi's face. He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek. "Hang in there mom."

Hours passed before Owen returned with the healer. He led the doctor inside, moving over to Beru as the doctor stepped closer to Shmi. Anakin's refusal to move from his mother's side made it difficult for the doctor to examine her. "I must have more room if I am to do my work." The look he received from Anakin made him pause only a moment. "I understand your concern young man, but there is little standing about will do for her now."

"I'm not leaving her side." Anakin argued; ready to throttle the doctor for even thinking he would desert his mother.

Dormé placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Anakin, he is right. You will not help her this way. Come; let the doctor do what he can for her." She pulled on his arm, trying to get him to come with her. For a moment, he hesitated, giving the doctor a stern look, then with a sigh, turned his gaze back to his mother and allowed Dormé to lead him out of the room.

The pair moved toward the room Beru had set up for them. Anakin slumped down onto the bed and Dormé sat down beside him. "You should clean up Anakin." She got only a slight nod from her companion. "I can see if Beru has something for us to eat?"

Anakin leaned over and put his head in his hands. How could this have happened? His mother knew the dangers the raiders posed as well as any other living being on Tattoine. She would not have ventured out without someone else so early in the morning. No, there was something else going on here. He was broken from his thoughts when he heard the water turning on in the fresher and saw Dormé coming back over towards him.

"I put the water on for you; it should be warm enough soon. I'm going to see what I can find for us to eat." Dormé stated as she patted his shoulder.

His stomach grumbled as a reminder that he had not eaten in sometime. "Thank you Dormé, food is probably a good idea." He got to his feet and closed the door to the fresher behind him.

Dormé watched him trudge into the fresher, and then walked back out into the main room. She saw Owen and the doctor moving Shmi to another room. She did not wish to get in their way, and so stepped over to where Beru stood watching, "How is she?"

Beru frowned before replying, "He's having Owen move her to her room where she will be more comfortable. He hasn't said much else." She turned her head away to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes. "She shouldn't have gone alone. I…I was supposed to go with her, but…but when I woke that morning she was already gone."

Dormé placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "If you had been with her you may have been taken or worse. I do not know Lady Shmi, but I do not think she would not have wanted you to suffer as she has. You can not blame yourself."

"But I do, I can't help it. She has been so kind to me. Owen says if I had been with her, we would have been able to protect one another." Beru whispered her voice heavy with sorrow.

Fighting back the urge to go and pummel Shmi's stepson, Dormé guided the young girl over to the table to sit down. "That is simply ridiculous. If anything when he learned his mother was out there alone, he should have gone to help protect her." She could not believe he would rather send his girlfriend out to possible capture rather then risk his own skin. "Where was he when his father was getting injured trying to rescue Lady Shmi?"

Beru wiped her eyes once more. "He…he said it was insanity and that they'd probably already killed her. He even tried to convince his father and the other men not to go, but Mr. Lars loves her so. He never would have abandoned her like that. If he'd not been injured in the first attempt, I'm certain he would go after the sand people again."

Dormé tried to offer what comfort she could, while devising ways in which she could tell Owen Lars just what a loathsome creature he really was. Cliegg Lars seemed to be a nice man, but his son was not on her list of favorite people. "She is home now with her family and that is what matters."

"Thank you for being so kind." Beru sniffled before pausing. "You and Anakin must be famished after your trip here and then rescuing Shmi." She stood up, "Let me see what I can put together."

"May I help?" Dormé asked. She loved cooking though the opportunity rarely presented itself in her current occupation. Beru smiled and the two women set off toward the kitchen.

* * *

Anakin stepped out of the fresher in a daze. The hot water had done little to wash away the image of his mother, broken and beaten. As he dried himself off and slippedback into his clothes, he could not help the irritation that swelled inside. If the Jedi Council had not prevented him from returning to Tattoine sooner he could have saved his mother from the torture she had suffered. Worried and frustrated, Anakin left the bedroom and strode down the hallway toward the sitting area. Finding no one present, panic quickly set in. He turned toward the kitchen area where he heard voices. He stepped into the doorway and spotted Dormé. "Where is my mother?"

Startled, Dormé looked up from stirring a pot of boiling vegetables. She could see the panic on his face and immediately felt terrible for not informing him about his mother. Putting the spoon down, she walked over to him. "The doctor had her moved to her bedroom so she would be more comfortable. Beru and I are making something for us to eat while we wait for word."

The panic that flooded his senses, dwindled slightly, but his eyes drifted down the hallway to where he suspected his mother's room was. Then he turned his gaze back toward Dormé. "I need some air."

Dormé nodded, "I will come find you when the food is done."

With a brief nod of his own, Anakin walked away. He needed a quiet place to think and headed outside to find one. After stepping outside, he looked up at the twin suns before striding toward the garage. Once there his hand drifted over some scrap parts for what looked like a swoop bike. While his mind raced with all sorts of thoughts, his hands set to work trying to fix the broken bike.

Dormé watched Anakin leave with a sigh then turned back to stirring the vegetable.

Beru cut up some bread, occasionally glancing over at Dormé and chattering on. Eventually, one of Beru's questions broke through the haze that Dormé had been in as she cooked. "What's it like there?"

Unsure of exactly what Beru was asking, Dormé replied, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"On Naboo; what's it like there?" Beru asked again, setting the bread onto a plate and placing the plate on a tray.

Turning off the stove, Dormé ladled some of the broth into a bowl. While her mind was occupied with concern for Anakin and his mother, she did her best to answer Beru's question. "Um, it's very green, with lots of water and many trees. Not at all like here." She ladled more broth into another bowl, and then set both bowls onto the tray.

Beru nodded, placing some fruits onto the tray as well. "That sounds very beautiful."

Dormé smiled at the other woman. "Maybe one day you'll come to Naboo and get to see just how beautiful it is."

"Oh, oh no, I don't think so. Owen would never want to leave Tattoine and I just could not travel alone. Besides, I've never been all that fond of traveling anyway." Beru smiled sheepishly as she explained.

Dormé could not understand Beru's attraction to Owen. He seemed like a depressing sort of man and not very likeable in her eyes. If time permitted, she would have enjoyed trying to help Beru, but she knew there were other tasks that needed doing before she attempted to aid the lovely blonde girl. Picking up the tray, she thanked Beru for the food and set out to find Anakin.

He was standing in the garage at what she assumed was a workbench. "I brought you something to eat. You must be hungry." Dormé spoke softly as she placed the tray down. Anakin did not respond or show any sign that he had heard her enter, "Anakin?"

Only after she spoke his name, did the young Jedi speak. "The shifter broke. Life is so much simpler when you're fixing things." Anakin stated as he tinkered with the bike. "I'm good at fixing things…always was. But…I can't fix her." He blinked back tears, as he continued. "Why can't I fix her Dormé? I know I should be able to. Other Jedi could, why can't I?"

Dormé moved over to him slowly with a sad look in her eyes. "Anakin, sometimes there are things we can't fix on our own, even when we want to. We need help, everyone does. Even you Anakin, as much as you would like to be you are not all-powerful."

Anakin turned away from her and the bench, angrily. "Well I should be! Someday…I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever!" He turned back around toward Dormé a look of determination in his eyes. "I promise you, I will even learn how to stop people from dying."

"Anakin…no one has that kind of power and no one should ever have that sort of power. People are not meant to live forever, no matter how much we may want them to. " Dormé started towards him, but stopped suddenly when he turned towards her once more, fury clear in his expression.

"It's all Obi-wan's fault. He's jealous! He knows that I'm more powerful than he is already." Anakin ranted, picking up a wrench and throwing it across the garage. "He's holding me back!" The wrench slammed against the wall then clattered to the floor. Breathing deeply, he looked at his hands, which were trembling.

Dormé stared at him in shock. She knew he was very upset about his mother, but the things he was saying were just so foolish. While she had not had much contact with Anakin's master, Sabé often spoke of how kind Master Kenobi was. She could not picture the man Sabé had described as the same man Anakin was currently berating. "Anakin, you know that is not true. I may not know Master Kenobi as well you, but of what I do know of him, I cannot believe that he is the sort of man to do something like that. Why would you say such a thing?"

Anakin paced back and forth. She was right of course. Obi-wan had never given him a reason to think such a terrible thing. The older man had been like a brother to him. Anger slowly gave way to sorrow as Anakin spoke. "I…I killed them. I killed them all, every single one of them."

The image of the dead Tuscan raiders was quick to appear in her mind. Dormé took a deep breath, trying to remove the horrible image before replying. "I…I know. I…I saw."

"Not just the men Dormé, but the women and…and I almost killed those children. If you hadn't…" Anakin continued his pacing. Back and forth he went, as if trying to get away from what he had done.

Dormé looked away, trying to grasp what he was telling her. "You would not have killed those children? I understand the adults; they attacked you, hurt your mother, you had to defend yourself, but…the children…you would not have…"

"They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them! I hate them all!" Anakin's voice grew louder and louder as he spoke. "If I had the chance…I would have ended the lives of every last one of them."

This was not the young man she had come to consider a friend. Dormé shouted at him. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. How can you even think of…? They are children Anakin, innocents in all this. You can not hold younglings responsible for their parent's actions!"

Anakin shouted back at her, "And when they get older they'll become just like their parents. They will be nothing but monsters that will hunt and kill!"

Dormé shook her head and glared at him. "That doesn't give you a right to slaughter them. I understand your anger, but directing that anger at children who have done you no harm is wrong and you know it. " As she looked at him, she realized she was shaking with anger. His logic was so flawed and hurtful. In his mind, she should be punished for how her parents had treated her.

Anakin stopped pacing and looked at Dormé as his anger once more gave way to sorrow. He slumped down onto the floor, unable to hold back his tears. "I didn't…I couldn't control myself Dormé. I…I don't want to hate them, but it's so hard to forgive them. They almost killed my mother."

While she wanted to comfort him, Dormé was still too upset with him. She stood over him, frowning. "It is natural for you to be angry with them, but you cannot blame younglings for what happened to your mother. They did nothing wrong except be the children of the creatures who did hurt her and that is not a crime. It is only their misfortune." She looked away, her mind replaying images of her own sad childhood.

Anakin looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. "Your right, I know you're right about the younglings. I know I'm better than this. I know I am. I am a Jedi. Jedi are supposed to control their anger." He sniffled, wiping his eyes.

Dormé knelt down next to him with a sigh. While she was still disturbed by his behavior, at least he was showing some sense of regret. "It is not about being a Jedi or learning to control your anger, Anakin. We all get angry, Jedi or not, but when we succumb to that anger, when we let it control us, then we become no better than those who do us harm."

Anakin lowered his head. "I…I'm so sorry Dormé." He began crying again and this time Dormé gave in and wrapped him in her arms. They sat together for some time until Anakin had cried himself out. "Your mother is alive Anakin. You should be grateful for that. Perhaps it was not in the way you hoped, but in the end, you were able to save her like you wanted."

Anakin nodded, pulling away from Dormés embrace. Again, his friend was right. "Thank you Dormé. In all the chaos, I don't think I properly thanked you for being here and for helping me save my mom; for helping her."

"You don't have to thank me Anakin. I was just happy to of been some help. Besides, if your mother is anything like you, she will pull through." Dormé smiled weakly. They sat quietly for a moment before Anakin's stomach protested rather loudly. Holding back a snicker Dormé stood up. "I think maybe you should eat something."

Anakin smirked. "I think you may be right." He peered up at the nearby tray. "That smells pretty good."

Dormé picked up the tray, sat back down next to Anakin, then placed the tray in front of them. "I hope the soup hasn't become too chilled. While this is not my best effort in the kitchen, it is suitable for now."

Anakin had already dug in, chewing on a piece of bread and then taking a heaping spoonful of the soup. After swallowing, he turned to Dormé, "This is much better than some of my cooking attempts. Anyone who can make this stuff taste good is a miracle worker in the kitchen." He lifted the spoon out of the soup, letting the soggy vegetables slop back into the bowl.

"I doubt that, but I do enjoy cooking." Dormé blushed. She dipped a piece of her bread into the soup and took a bite. It was nothing spectacular really. If he thought this was good, she wondered what he would think of her special dessert.

They finished their food in relative silence. Dormé put everything back onto the tray then stood up. "We should go inside and see how your mother is fairing."

Anakin nodded before standing up. He quietly mulled over the things Dormé had said and done thus far, as they walked back towards the Lars house. She was unlike anyone he had ever met before. While she had scolded him as the council so often did, for some reason when the words came from her lips, they held so much more weight behind them. The reason for this would not become apparent to him until much later in their relationship.

Once inside they saw the doctor coming out of the bedroom and Anakin immediately inquired as to Shmi's condition. "She is a lucky woman indeed. A few more days and she would not have survived. Dehydration and malnourishment were beginning to set in. I can easily remedy those with a few nutritional treatments. She will be weak for quite awhile, I suspect, but in time, I foresee a complete physical recovery. However, I cannot say what her mental condition will be. There is no telling what horrors those beasts did to her. We will have to wait and see."

Anakin did not realize he had been holding his breath until the doctor had finished. His eyes closed as he sighed in relief. His mother was going to be all right. He felt Dormé squeeze his hand with her own relief. He was so grateful that she was there and that she cared so much about his mothers' welfare. "I'd like to see her."

The doctor frowned. "I have given her something to help her sleep. She needs much rest in order to heal," He looked at the young man in front of him and sighed. "But I see no reason that you can not sit with her for awhile, as long as you are quiet."

While Cliegg yearned to be by his wife's side, he knew how Shmi had missed her son and could see how eager Anakin was to spend time with her after all their years apart. He was not about to begrudge the boy that time. "You go and sit with her son."

Anakin looked down at the older man, remembering that this was his mothers' husband. "Thank you sir." He released Dormés hand, giving her a gentle smile before heading down the hallway and into his mothers' bedroom.

Dormé watched Anakin disappear into the other room. Knowing it was going to be quite some time before he emerged she decided to retire for the evening. Politely she bid Beru, Cliegg, and a surprisingly subdued Owen, goodnight before retreating to her and Anakin's room.

Anakin remained by his mothers side for most of the night. Only when he could not fight sleep any longer, did he finally agree to leave her in the care of Cliegg. He drifted, half asleep to his room to find Dormé resting peacefully on the bed. He watched her for a few moments, but did not want to disturb her by climbing onto the bed. He chose to sink down into a nearby chair. His eyes returned to watching her form until he too slipped into the darkness of sleep. Surprisingly, he slept rather soundly, waking only once for a short time after a particularly odd dream.

As the twin suns moved higher into the sky, he woke again His sleepy eyes surveyed the room, immediately noticing that Dormé was no longer there. Rubbing his eyes, Anakin pulled himself out of the chair and went in search of his friend. Quietly he crept out of their room and wandered down the hall. He peered into the kitchen and then into the main room, but she was not in either.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small glimmer of light from outside coming through the outside door. As quickly and as quietly as he could, Anakin climbed the steps to the surface, worried that something had happened to his pretty companion. Once outside his fears diminished slightly when he spotted her sitting on a mound of sand.

"Dormé", Anakin spoke softly so as not to startle her. "Are you alright?"

The events of the previous day had taken a toll on the young handmaiden, bringing back many unhappy memories. Her sleep had thus been disturbed by unpleasant dreams a plenty. Hearing Anakin's voice, Dormé quickly wiped her eyes and turned to him with a smile. "I'm fine; I just, um, I couldn't get back to sleep." She glanced at the suns shining high in the sky. "I guess I'm not used to there always being sunlight. Do they ever set?"

He could sense there was more to her being up so early, but Anakin decided to humor her for the moment. "No, they never set completely. Most of the people around here are glad that they do not though. They fear what could happen to them if the planet was shrouded in darkness for any period of time."

Dormé nodded, "That's such a shame. One of the things I miss most when I must be on Coruscant is the sunrises and sunsets of Naboo. It is so crowded on Coruscant with all the buildings and such that there is no clear view of the sky from the handmaidens' quarters." She stood up and brushed the sand off her hands.

"I know of one spot on Coruscant where the sunrises can be viewed. That is when it is not cloudy. Maybe one day, I can show you. When all this is over I mean." Anakin asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really, you would do that for me?" Dormé asked as she looked up at the young man in front of her.

Anakin smirked. "Of course, you've done so much for me during this mission Dormé. I mean, you helped me to save my mother. The least I can do is return that favor by bringing you to one of my favorite spots on Coruscant."

At first, she blushed when he mentioned the aid she had provided in retrieving Shmi, but then she remembered the awful nightmares that had plagued her dreams and she looked away. "I told you Anakin, you don't have to repay me for anything."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her back towards him. The anguish pouring off her in waves was easy for him to sense. "Dormé, what's wrong? You said you couldn't get back to sleep before, but I don't believe it was because of the suns."

Dormé bit her bottom lip, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "It's nothing, just stupid dreams. I let them get to me more than I should have."

All too familiar with how dreams can affect someone, Anakin pressed on. "Tell me about them. I know it helped me some when I spoke to you about my dreams. Maybe it will be the same for you."

Looking back out over the vast desert, Dormé debated internally over if she wanted to tell him about her dream. What would he think of her if he knew the awful things she had dreamt? She felt his hand on her shoulder and made her decision. "The dream…it started off very nice. I was back in Uriash with my parents and…and for once, they were not fighting." Dormé recalled the overwhelming feelings of happiness she had felt in the dream "They were…actually paying attention to me." Dormé paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Then it all changed, as if someone had flipped a switch. They started arguing, throwing things at one another. I tried to stop them, but they just ignored me. My father disappeared, but my mother stood there staring at me. She kept saying it was my fault. That I had…that I had caused all the trouble between her and my father." Her voice broke as tears slid down her cheeks.

Anakin took a moment to take in what Dormé had said. He has sensed from their previous conversation on Naboo that her life back in Uriash had not been a pleasant one, but could her parents, her mother have been that harsh? "I'm, I'm sorry Dormé. I didn't…I mean, did they really treat you like that…your parents?"

Dormé nodded sadly, wiping her eyes. There was no sense in crying about it anymore. It was in the past. "They spent my entire childhood arguing. I tried so often to be the good daughter, but it was never good enough for either of them. The more they argued, the more my father drank and the more he drank the more they argued. Eventually, my mother washed her hands clean of the whole thing. She left him and me behind."

Hearing about how awful her childhood had been, left Anakin at a loss. He truly didn't know what he could say to comfort her and he had inkling that there was more to her tale. Having never personally experienced such treatment himself, he felt rather awkward for bringing the entire thing up. While there were times as a child that he had witnessed some of his friends going through similar experiences with their parents, he had no knowledge of his own to draw upon. "I don't know what to say Dormé. I am sorry that you had to go through that. I didn't mean for you to have to relive that painful time."

"It's not your fault Anakin." Dormé stated, brushing off his apology. "You don't have to apologize. It's silly really, but… seeing you with your mother and knowing how caring your relationship with her must be…I wish my parents had been as affectionate."

Anakin hated seeing his friend so upset and felt guilty for being partly to blame. He pulled her into a hug, not knowing what else to do and was struck by an odd sense of relief when she did not pull away. Unknowingly, one of his hands began to twirl a strand of her soft brown hair. "I am truly sorry Dormé," he paused, "but if it's any consolation, I think your one of the bravest women I have ever met."

Dormé crinkled her brow against his chest before lifting her head up to look at him before letting her eyes drop back down. "I hardly think that's true, but thank you anyway." As much as she wanted to believe his words, it was hard for her to think that she was worthy of such praise.

"It is true Dormé." Anakin lifted her head up. "I think you have a lot more strength and courage than you realize." His fingers swept the strand of hair he had been playing with, behind her ear. His eyes lingered on her face, putting her delicate features to memory, especially the tiny brown flecks that dotted her skin.

She smiled shyly before asking, "You really think so?" There was a longing in the tone of Dormé's voice, hinting at a need to hear the words from someone she considered a friend.

Anakin smirked, "Yeah, I do." As he continued to gaze upon her face, the same sensation that had come over him on Naboo when they had kissed returned. He leaned closer pressing his lips against hers.

At first Dormé was hesitant towards his advances, especially recalling how their first kiss had ended. Yet, this kiss felt far different. Something neither she nor Anakin would realize until much later was that in this moment, they had captured one another's hearts. For now, she lost herself in his tender kiss, believing that they were just friends.

Unlike the kiss on Naboo, this one did not end with Anakin pulling away. Instead, he drew her closer, reveling in the softness of her lips. She was nothing like Padmé, whom he had longed thought of as his one true love. Yet, since departing from Coruscant, he had thought very little about Padmé. Dormé was the one who preoccupied his mind. It should have bothered him, the idea that this girl, who he had thought of as only his friend, had taken over his thoughts, but for some strange reason it didn't.

As the kiss grew deeper, he felt Dormé's arms slowly wrap around his neck.

They stood, embracing in the sunshine of Tattooine. Neither understood the true magnitude of the feelings that were driving them. All they knew was each other and neither wanted this moment to end.

* * *

TBC

Well, they saved Shmi and Dormé gave Anakin a stern talking too about his actions, but will it be enough? Things are heating up between these two, but has Anakin truly forgotten his crush on Padmé? And will Dormé realize her true feelings for Anakin? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.


End file.
